


Hunt

by jelly888



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Bromance, Busan line are bros, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Jaehyungparkian, Power of Friendship, Suspense, jaepil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-01-17 13:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 26,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12366921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelly888/pseuds/jelly888
Summary: Sungjin, Jae, Younghyun, Wonpil and Dowoon have been careful all their lives. One day however, at the wrong place and at the wrong time, one of them slips up and their hidden identity is put at risk. A secret organization hunting for people with superpowers will do anything to get their hands on them.





	1. Unusual Behaviors

"Dowoon! Will you please take your earphones off and listen to me?" Jae hisses at the boy who's staring out into the streets. 

The younger boy simply ignores him, casually leaning back on his chair, pretending to fall asleep. It would seem impossible for him to do so, with obnoxiously loud music seeping out of his earphones, but the boy had his means.

Younghyun, who's sitting beside Dowoon, taps the boy's shoulder and tugs lightly on the cord attached to his ears. He had been acting as mediator between the two the entire day. It was even his idea for the group to go out for some fresh air (and his much needed dose of coffee) in the hopes of lowering the toxicity in the house.

Sungjin and Wonpil, who were both lining up to order their drinks, kept eyeing their table every now and then--Sungjin, making sure his brother and Jae hadn't killed each other yet; while Wonpil simply wanted his own peace of mind and finally know what everyone is having. 

Since they entered the cafe, Dowoon still hadn't mentioned what drink he wanted. In fact, he hasn't spoken a word since he was, as he would call it, manhandled out the house. Sungjin had already tried reading Dowoon's mind but all he could hear was static noise. He knows well enough that badgering his brother would only make things worse, so he transfers his attention to Jae instead.

_Swallow your pride will you and ask him what he wants. Tell him it's a peace offering or something. Man up and just make up already. Jeez!_

Of course no one else in the cafe hears this, except Jae.

"Stop invading my head, Sungjin!" Jae shouts, slamming his fist on the table.

A couple of heads turn towards their table making Younghyun go into a frenzy of bowing gestures, apologizing for the disturbance their friend had caused.

It was very uncharacteristic of Jae to make a scene in public, much more give away any hint of their powers, that even Dowoon had stopped pretending he was asleep.

Younghyun's about to touch Jae in an attempt to lessen his negative emotions when he notices Jae and Dowoon having a staredown. The next thing he knows, Dowoon's earphones have gone flying across the table, landing on the floor. To Younghyun and the rest, this wasn't anything worth taking notice of, but for normal human beings, having something flying around without any physical contact could be quite the sight. Luckily, no one seemed to have seen the incident, or else they'd be in deep trouble.

"I knew this was gonna happen. I knew it. Why doesn't anyone ever bother to listen to me?" Wonpil mutters under his breath as he approaches their table.

Younghyun's able to grab a hold of Dowoon, stopping the younger boy from fighting back, but Jae had already gotten up from his seat, still seething.

"You always take his side, Younghyun! I deserve some repect from him too! Why? Is there an age limit for respect around here?!" 

With that Jae walks out, stepping on Dowoon's earphones in his wake.

"I'll get you a new one Dowoon," Younghyun pleads, as he tries to maintain a firm grip on the boy who's persistent on being let go. "Don't-"

"Hey! Dowoon! Where are you going? Come back here!" Sungjin runs after his brother who storms out the cafe.

"Shit... Nothing's going the way I want it to..." Younghyun buries his face in his palms in frustration.

 _I think he's going home,_  Sungjin interrupts Wonpil and Younghyun's thoughts. _I'll see you guys back there._

Younghyun nods absentmindedly, looking troubled, as he searches for something, rather for someone, outside.

If they had stayed home, it wouldn't have come to this. _Great job Younghyun._

"You better go after Jae hyung," Wonpil says quietly as he picks up Dowoon's broken earphones on the floor.

"Yeah, you're right. I should... Did you see which way he went?" 

Younghyun gets up from his seat and turns to leave but Wonpil grabs him by the arm and whispers ominously, "You must come home right away."

"Why? What is it Wonpil? Is something going to happen?" he asks, worried about his friend's unusal tone.

Wonpil, hand still holding onto Younghyun, just stares at him, his blank expression changing into a look of confusion.

"Happen? What's gonna happen? Did I say something weird again? Oh crap..." Wonpil scratches the back of his head. "Sorry about that... You better get going then. I wouldn't leave Jae hyung alone with that temper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It started out as an open ended fanfic with just a few chapters, now it's a complete fanfic with 23 chapters and 21K words.
> 
> My first fanfic~ which was born out of watching too much scifi/crime/thriller/suspense kdramas while getting into Day6. I hope it makes you feel compelled to protect Day6 at all costs and know how much they love each other.
> 
> PS. The story is loaded with bromance ;) There's a healthy dose of Jaehyungparkian and Jaepil. I wrote a tiny bit of Youngwoon in one of the chapters too, because it's a must to have a moment between your top 2 biases. Also, leader and maknae are brothers. Get ready for some feels!
> 
> Please support and love Day6!


	2. The Telekenetic

It takes him a while to figure out where his best friend had gone, but Younghyun catches up to him eventually.

"Hyung!" He places his hand on Jae's shoulder making the older boy instantly feel calmer. "I've been looking for you."

"Younghyun... I'm really sorry... I've been so stressed lately, I can't-"

"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's okay! We all have our bad days. Why don't we just forget about today?" Younghyun says with some cheer in his voice, but it doesn't convince Jae, nor himself. He sighs deeply, tucking his hands in his pockets. "I should be the one to apologize for forcing the group to go out."

"There you go again. Haven't I already told you to stop being too hard on yourself? You're really going to make me say a sappy speech aren't you? Younghyun, you have no idea how thankful we are for you. Even the landlady's thankful for you," Jae claps his friend on the shoulder.

Younghyun laughs despite himself.

"Thanks-"

_Jae! Younghyun!_

Their conversion is interrupted by Sungjin's worried voice that's filling their consciousness.

_Come home this instant! Run if you have to! Wonpil had a vision. Two black vans and men running after the both of you. Run! Home! Now!_

"Wonpil... He told me... Oh shit! Hyung, we have to run!"

Younghyun feels panic taking over Jae beside him. He wants to start moving, make a headstart, but his feet feels like they've been anchored to the ground. He takes in a deep breath in an attempt to settle his nerves before Jae's emotions could completely influence him. Not wasting another second, he grabs ahold of his best friend's hand, feeding him emotions of hope, every ounce he can find in him.

"Let's go!" he urges.

++++++

"Here! Let's pass by this alley!" Younghyun says as they continue running, every shortcut crucial at this point. 

"No! Not there, that's a dead end! It's the next alley that's the short cut." 

Jae pulls on Younghyun's hand, taking the lead, as the momentary confusion slows them down.

Just as they are about to cross a street, two black vans make a screeching halt, one beside them and another infront, blocking their path.

"Hyung..." Younghyun whispers in fear as the doors begin to open. 

"Run!"

Jae curses when he looks back and sees men carrying weapons. He's quick to put up a protective barrier, but not as quick as he would have wanted. Pain shoots through his arm as he completes the invisible force field behind them.

"Shit." He feels his arm begin to feel numb, but he doesn't stop running. He's even able to flip the men's weapons out of their hands.

In a matter of seconds, the effects of the tranquilizer spreads throughout his body. Jae stumbles to the ground, his barrier disintegrating. 

"Jae!" Younghyun cries out when he feels his friend disappear beside him.

He looks back in panic only to find out that he's farther away from Jae than the men chasing them.

"Hyung!"

"Go! I'm right behind you!" Jae shouts back. He tries to get back on his feet, but heavy boots weigh him down, heels digging into his back.

"Give him another dose. He's dangerous." He hears another man order.

Someone pushes his face to the ground, pinning him down further, as if drugging and trapping him like an animal weren't enough.

He sees a glimpse of a syringe but he doesn't bother struggling nor fighting back any longer, knowing his actions would only be futile. He's come to accept his imminent demise, but what he won't forgive himself for, is if his best friend ends up in the same fate.

"No!" Younghyun screams when he sees what the man is about to do.

He runs towards his friend but there's a force field stopping him from coming any closer. 

"Jae, no! Take this down!"

At that same moment, Sungjin communicates with him.

_Younghyun where are you? I can't reach Jae!_

The silence is enough to confirm the leader's fear.

_You have to leave! We can't help him if you'll get caught too! Save yourself, Younghyun! We will find Jae! I promise you!_

"No hyung... No! I can't leave him!" Younghyun pushes against the invisible wall but the barrier only pushes him farther away until it finally disintegrates as the telekenetic loses consciousness.

"Get him!" shouts one man as the others drag Jae into the van.

Fearlessly, Younghyun runs towards Jae's captors. But it only takes a kick to the gut and he's down on the ground. As he struggles to get up, his assailant approaches him, stepping on his chest, syringe in hand.

"You could have saved yourself." 


	3. The Empath & Healer

Just in time, before the needle could break his skin, Younghyun finds his keys in his pocket. With nothing else to defend himself with, he pulls it out and slashes the man across the face, eliciting a cry of pain from the mercenary as he clutches his wounded face.

Younghyun quickly pushes the man off him and gets on his feet.

"Jae!" He starts for the van until he realizes there are more men in his way. 

"Can't decide?" 

There's a new man in the crowd, this one standing out in an white ensemble.

"I'll give you two options. One, get in there quietly and spare everyone all the trouble," the man says, looking towards the van. "Or, two, my men drag your unconscious body in there after I personally make you feel the pain your friend went through."

"What do you want from us?"

"We were watching... Kang. Young. Hyun."

The way the man had enunciated every syllable of his name sent shivers down his spine.

"I have a feeling you'd be the type to be a healer, no?" the man continues.

Younghyun's breath hitches, his heart pounding uncontrollably in his chest.

"So I guess I'm right," he says when Younghyun doesn't react. "Interesting combination.

"I would love to see how your powers work on my friend over here. But these men wear scars on themselves like trophies. I would hate to take that from them."

Younghyun backs away slowly. _Sungjin! They know! They know about our powers!_ he repeats in his head hoping that if his friend were reading his mind he would be warned of who they were up against.

He looks around, the escape route is wide open right behind him. Sungjin's right, if he saves himself, they'll be able to find Jae together. But how long is that going to take them?

"To hell with this!" His mind was made up, he wasn't going anywhere without his best friend.

"I see it's option two then." The man laughs as he intercepts Younghyun, grabbing him by the neck, squeezing hard.

As the boy struggles against his grip, the man feels a sudden surge of anger, laced with sadness and fear, not towards his captive but towards the mercenaries.

"What do you think you're doing?" He shoves Younghyun to the ground, kicking him when he tries to get up. "Weak. I expected more from you."

"Let my friend go!" Younghyun reaches out to touch the man, but the man just grins, as if amused, and steps on the boy's right hand.

Wincing in pain, Younghyun attempts with his free hand to grab onto the man's ankle but a strong kick to his side prevents him.

The man crouches down looking straight into Younghyun's eyes. "Is that really the best you can do?" he mocks.

"You won't win. My friends will find us. They'll save us," Younghyun says weakly but with determination in his eyes.

"No. It's more fun if _we_ find your friends. And you'll be the one giving us the information we need." He grins, the syringe in his hand finally piercing the boy's neck.


	4. (Hidden Chapter)

The antiseptic odor makes Younghyun's head swim. The nauseatingly clean smell was a reminder of hospitals and how he hated, still hates, them. Whenever he had to go to one, he would always wear unnecessarily long outfits to prevent himself from making contact with people, but even then, their aura was enough to affect him and make him miserable throughout the day. This is how Younghyun feels when he wakes up--miserable, and sore all over.

The sharp ringing in his ear gradually diminishes into a low hum, temporarily muffling the sounds in his surroundings. It was just like what Dowoon would do when he was in a bad mood.

 _Dowoon_.

Younghyun's eyes snap open, the blinding light from overhead making his headache even worse. Together with the recollection of the events that transpired, he feels a strong urge to vomit.

There was a man who knew about their powers. The deluded look on his face. He shivers. They need to get away from him!

His friends. Were they safe? Was Sungjin able to read his mind? Do they already know?

Younghyun can still feel the sting of the needle the man had pushed unforgivingly slow into his neck. He reaches for that area but he can't lift his hands. He tries again, only to realize that he's strapped down onto the surface he is lying on. Even his legs were securely bound. 

_Jae... He should be here somewhere._

Just then, a woman in a lab coat enters.

"He's awake," she says as if she were talking to someone, but there's no one else in the room.

She approaches Younghyun and tightens his restraints even further, making him flinch as the bindings dig into his skin.

When she's about to do his right hand, Younghyun grabs her wrist. He regrets it immediately as pain shoots up the entire length of his arm, the man having done quite the number on his hand, but he doesn't let go. He watches as tears fall from the emotionless woman's eyes. She carefully loosens the strapping on his wrists before falling to the floor, crying hysterically.

As soon as he frees himself Younghyun finds Jae unconscious on an operating table beside him, bound, just the way he was. He quickly sets to freeing his friend, cursing whenever his trembling hands would slip. Tears of frustration begin to well up in his eyes.

"Younghyun..." Jae murmurs as he begins to regain consciousness.

"Hyung... I'm sorry, I-I'm trying my best..."

Jae nods at him, as a form of encouragement.

With a deep breath Younghyun resumes, hands steadier than the first time, silent tears falling down his face.

"You should have kept running... I told you-"

"Do you really think I'd leave you?"

The two hug each other tight, Younghyun taking the opportunity to heal his friend.

"You didn't have to waste your energy on me. I was okay-"

"Said the bruise on your face. It doesn't matter, it's finished. You're as good as new."

"And you're not." Jae holds Younghyun's badly bruised hand gently, but the boy can't help but wince.

"I can handle it," he says, withdrawing his hand. "I have a high tolerance for pain."

"Can't you heal-"

"You know I can't," he replies plainly, putting an end to the topic. "We need to-"

"Move!"

Jae pushes Younghyun aside. The woman had regained her senses and was charging at them with a tranquilizer. The telekenetic uses his powers to control the syringe, successfully stabbing the woman with the drug and knocking her out cold.

"Come on!" He takes Younghyun by the hand.

"I'll tell you where the exit is if you tell me where your friends are."

The boys stop in their tracks. It was the man entering the room, guards right behind him.

"Get them!"

Younghyun steps infront of Jae brandishing a scalpel. "Get away from us!"

The guards make their move but the man signals for them to stop. He isn't threatened one bit as Younghyun lashes out infront of him, casually walking up to the boy and grabbing him by the wrists.

"Go on." He brings the scalpel to his throat. "Go on! Kill me!" He pulls Younghyun's hands closer, making a thin cut on his neck where blood begins to form.

Younghyun can't get himself to move out of shock. He knows the man is deranged, but not to this extent. He tries to pull away but the man's grip is strong.

"Let go!" Jae's voice catches Younghyun's attention. He looks behind him and sees his friend struggling against the guards, objects starting to levitate.

His breath hitches, something cool presses against his temple.

"J-Jae..." Younghyun's voice wavers as he speaks. His friend had not heard him. "Hyung!" he raises his voice.

Objects fall to the ground in a multitude of sounds.

The man had a gun to Younghyun's head.

++++++

"Where are they?!" 

For every nonanswer, Younghyun was beaten.

"Stop it!"

For every word they spoke that the man wasn't interested in hearing, Younghyun was beaten.

In fact, they didn't have to do anything to trigger the man. He just did as he pleased--beat Younghyun up until he was satisfied.

A guard was about to kick Younghyun again when Jae finally speaks up, voice wavering. "I-I'll tell you where they are! I-I'll do it!"

Younghyun shakes his head. He tries to get up but his arms give out.

"He doesn't look like he's going to hold out any longer." The man kicks Younghyun on the shoulder, turning him over.

"Younghyun..." Jae continues struggling against the guards, clearly exhausted.

"This is the last straw Park Jae Hyung. I will finish off your weakling of a boyfriend if the words I want to hear still won't come out of your mouth." The man takes a gun from one of the guards and points it at Younghyun.

Jae knows the man isn't about to just kill them off, if he had intended to, they would already be dead by now. But he didn't want to test the man either. He was unpredictable, and psychotic, surely he wouldn't think twice about pulling that trigger.

"Let's see you try stopping this bullet with your powers," the man challenges him.

When the man cocks the gun, Jae blurts out their address. He can't bear to see the sight of Younghyun bloody, more so lifeless, any longer. He prays that Sungjin and the rest aren't home anymore, that they've already moved. If that were the case, he'll have enough time to come up with a plan, possibly escape, before the man takes it out on them again.

Once he feels the grip on him slacken he runs to Younghyun.

"You have 10 seconds."

His hands tremble. Younghyun looked so much worse up close.

"I'm sorry," the younger speaks, voice raw, almost inaudible.

Jae shakes his head. "You did nothing wrong, this is all on me," he wants to say, but he can't seem to find his voice. Instead, tears he had been holding back stream down his face.

 _Eight_.

He carefully wipes blood off his best friend's face, repeatedly asking for forgiveness.

 _Six_.

Younghyun smiles at him weakly. Jae can feel courage stirring in his heart.

_Four._

"I'll find a way to get us out of here," he says quietly. Younghyun nods.

"Say your goodbyes."

Jae holds onto Younghyun's fragile body as tight as he can, while Younghyun, with his remaining strength, holds onto Jae's sleeve.

"No! Leave us alone! I-I've already told you-"

"Time's up!"

"NO! NO! LET ME GO! YOUNGHYUN!" Jae thrashes as they are pulled apart. He tries grabbing his friend but his hand slips.

Younghyun can only cry silently--helpless, as he watches Jae being dragged out the room.

"Save it." The man wipes his tears. "We're only getting started."


	5. Safehouse

Curtains were drawn over windows, light switches were left untouched as night fell, enveloping the apartment in darkness.

It was unnerving enough having to wait in fear, but the dark made it so much worse. Wonpil had tried to reason with Sungjin--at least keep a lamp on, sitting in the dark can't be good for anyone's sanity--but the leader insisted that they were safer that way. 

That's how Wonpil ends up volunteering as the lookout.

He peeks through the curtains for what seems to be the hundredth time, letting a bit of light spill into the room. It's already past midnight, past their self-imposed curfew, but there's still no sign of Jae and Younghyun returning.

"Hyung, they aren't coming home, not tonight."

It had taken Wonpil a lot of courage to finally say those words. Someone needed to set the wheels in motion, get everyone to start moving, literally.

He recalls Sungjin nodding his head the first time he suggested that they transfer and find a safer place to stay. He was expecting for them to start packing, if push comes to shove, hell, he was ready to run out the door with nothing but the clothes on his back, but nothing of that sort happens. 

"Wait... Maybe I can still find them." Sungjin tries not to sound too desperate, the empty glass of water in his hand looks like it would shatter any moment.

Sungjin takes a deep breath. He's going to give it another shot, _again_.

 _Hyung, sorry..._ It's the same voice, saying the same words. It's all the telepath ever hears whenever he as much as closes his eyes, remnants of Younghyun's last thoughts. He tries to push that memory aside, erase it if it were possible, stop it from hindering his consciousness to roam freely--so he can find Younghyun, so he can find Jae.

 

Before Sungjin had lost contact, Younghyun was insisting on saving Jae, while he was begging, pleading, for the younger to come home--he had to save at least of one them. But the boy just wouldn't listen and even started pushing him out of his head. That's when Sungjin panicked, his biggest mistake, because he could barely latch onto Younghyun's consciousness anymore, his nerves and anxiety getting the better of him. It was like a game of tug of war, and he was on the losing end. But he refused to give up, he had given all his strength for one last pull.

_Younghyun!_

"It's a lost cause." Wonpil had said out of the blue, in that ominous voice of his, the one he never has any recollection of.

It was the first time Sungjin ever hated Wonpil. He wanted to prove him wrong; that he could change the clairvoyant's visions if he tried hard enough...

 

Of course there's nothing he can do, because it's too late.

_They're not coming home, not tonight._

Wonpil's visions are always right.

"Hyung, you already did everything you can," Wonpil places an assuring hand on Sungjin's shoulder. "Maybe it's best for us to leave now, get ourselves out of danger. Then we can start finding them."

"Dowoon pack your things, we're leaving. Now." Sungjin orders his brother as he finally gathers his wits.

Dowoon doesn't respond, his eyes fixed on his cellphone, as if he were expecting a call. A call that wasn't coming, because Sungjin himself had turned the cellphone off--to keep people off their backs.

"Are you listening? Dowoon!" Sungjin raises his voice.

"Let me hyung..." Wonpil offers, afraid that there would be a repeat of the last time.

"Dowoon... I know what you're thinking. None of this is your fault. We’ll find them, we definitely will. But first we have to be on the move," he tries to reassure their youngest member this time.

This was supposed to be Younghyun’s job, making sure everyone's in their right minds. But with the older boy gone and the rest clearly shaken, Wonpil had taken it upon himself to do something to keep the group from falling apart.

Dowoon closes his eyes as if trying to shut everyone out.

"Know what I'm thinking? So you're a mind reader now too?" he finally speaks, emotions all over the place that his voice wavers.

Suddenly everything falls quiet, literally everything: from the television next door, to a car that was passing by out on the streets. Even Wonpil and Sungjin can't hear themselves.

Wonpil gives Sungjin a panicked look.

_Dowoon you can't shut me out, you know that._

A sharp sound rips through the silence, making the older boys flinch. A "piss off" in Dowoon's language.

 _I know you're scared and a whole lot more. I am too. But none of this is your fault. If anything, it is mine. I'm the leader, but I can't even protect my own members. I'm so sorry... I should have tried harder. I should have been able to save them... But it's not too late, I will find a way to save them._ _And Dowoon, I promise you, no matter what happens I will protect you with my life. I made that promise to mom and I'm going to keep it._

With that, all the sounds come rushing back. Dowoon looks at Sungjin with tears in his eyes. And, as if granted the permission, he lets his head fall onto his brother's chest as he continues to cry.

“We need to find them, hyung.”

“Yes. Yes, we will.” Sungjin hugs his brother, comforting him.

They stay that way for a while, until Wonpil interrupts them. "I'm pretty sure people felt that. It's time we get moving. I had a vision. It was our school, maybe we should hide there for a while."

"The school? Do you think there's anyone there who knows our real identity? Can someone from school help us?" Dowoon looks up at Wonpil with hope in his tear-stained eyes.


	6. The Telepath

"I wouldn't bet on that." A loud voice booms through the room as the door to their apartment is broken down. Light floods into the room, blinding them momentarily.

Sungjin instinctively pushes Dowoon behind him as he shields his eyes.

"Hyung, what are we going to do?"

"I would've been more useful if I could teleport." Wonpil grits his teeth.

 _Now's not the time Wonpil. What do you see?_  

_Hyung nothing._

_Then this is still in our hands. Dowoon, you know what to do. Wonpil, cover your ears. We run outside as soon as Dowoon screams. Keep running no matter what happens. Understood? On the count of 3._

On three, Dowoon gives his loudest scream and they make for the door, ignoring the debris of glass flying around.

The five men who had barged into the house have fallen to the ground, their hands over their ears in agony.

Just as Sungjin steps out the door a hand grabs his ankle and he stumbles.

"Hyung!" Dowoon shouts reaching out for his brother, as Wonpil grabs a hold of him, keeping him from running back to Sungjin.

Sungjin kicks wildly at his captor, until he realizes it's becoming futile.

_There's only one way._

"Your son! I know he's sick but you don't have to choose this life. Please, let me go. Please," Sungjin pleads.

"Stupid boy." The man growls, as he brings out a syringe. "You can't even differentiate real memories from fake ones."

Sungjin knows it's a bluff. He's already had a lot of practice sorting out real and made up memories from raising Dowoon. Fake memories are too shallow, that's why he always digs deep. Knowing his words affected the man somehow, he uses that advantage, to bind the man with his mind.

He had only ever used it on tiny animals when he was still a child, his binding powers. Once, he nearly strangled a bird to death and he has never used it since. Right now he couldn't care any less if the man ended up dead, what was important was that he still had his ability.

Luck is on his side, his powers don't fail him. Sungjin kicks the immobilized man aside and gets back on his feet, running to his friends. 

The younger boys' eyes light up with hope as they watch their leader escape, but it's only short-lived. Sungjin is only able to take a few steps when one of the mercenaries who has recovered, gets behind him with a tranquilizer gun. 

"Hyung, behind you!" Wonpil warns, but it's too late. Sungjin falls forward as he feels the effects of the sedative almost instantly. Using the very last of his strength to stay awake, he looks up at Dowoon and Wonpil, pleading for them to run away.


	7. The Clairvoyant

Wonpil’s mind is reeling, visions constantly flashing before his eyes, all of them bleak and foreboding. He despises being a mutant, now more than ever. How can someone with powers be so helpless?

The first vision he ever had, Wonpil mistook for a bad dream. But when he was scolded infront of the entire class for forgetting to do his homework, exactly the way he had "dreamt" it, he freaked out so bad he had an accident that still haunts him to this very day. It had taken a lot of comforting from his parents and a while longer for him to finally get used to his abilities. It wouldn't have been so bad, if not for the fact that he's unable to do anything about his bad premonitions.

"Dowoon, please, we need to go. We can't save Sungjin hyung. There's too many of them. We need to leave," Wonpil tries to reason with the boy.

He's on the verge of revealing what he had seen in his vision just now: three unconscious bodies lying on the floor, none of which were of those men. That harsh (almost) reality could knock some sense into Dowoon and convince him to run away while they still can. Or, it could also be the precursor for his vision to come true. Whatever it is, he decides to hold his tongue, his words can only do so much. He continues pulling Dowoon by the waist towards the stairwell as they helplessly watch Sungjin fall down. 

_Run Dowoon! Run!_

The youngest hears his brother's voice in his head one last time before he loses consciousness from across the hallway.

"Hyung!"

Dowoon pushes Wonpil away in anger.

Gradually, everything falls silent.

Wonpil panics. This was in one of his visions. “No! Dowoon! Please don't-"

"That isn't a good idea, boy. I'd listen to your friend if I were you."

The unexpected voice surprises Dowoon out of concentration, removing the sound dampening effects of his powers. He looks behind him only to find Wonpil struggling against a man dressed in white. Alarmed, he begins to open his mouth, but the man threatens him.

"Scream and I assure you the first one to die will be your friend here."

"Hyung…” Dowoon looks at Wonpil, the both of them scared and helpless.

"Dowoon you have to escape!" Wonpil cries, trying to get the man's arm off his neck. He suddenly has a vision of his friends lying on operating tables. "Please," Wonpil pleads with quiet desperation, tears falling down his face. He already knows this isn't going to end well, knowing Dowoon. Their youngest isn't only the most stubborn, he's also their most loyal member. Nothing's going to make him turn away from family.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve seen how this ends," the man whispers in Wonpil's ear. "Don’t worry I’ll show your friend here just how bad it’s going to be."

“Dowoon! Please!”

Wonpil’s words fall on deaf ears. The confusion in the younger boy’s eyes, growing. 

“You can still-“

The man stabs Wonpil with a syringe without warning, an annoyed look on his face.

"HYUNG!" 

"Dowoon... G-Go... Save your...s-self-"

The boy actually considers running.  _But where?_

"YOU!" the man shouts, scaring Dowoon out of his thoughts. "You’re not going anywhere. I’m here to collect all 5 of you."


	8. The Sound Manipulator

Dowoon moves slowly towards the middle of hallway. He looks at either side--there's no escape--to his left, the men who had been knocked out were regrouping, Sungjin slung over the shoulder of one of them; to his right, the man had discarded Wonpil to the floor and was talking to someone on his earpiece as he eyes Dowoon intently.

Dowoon curses in his head. _I won't let them take my brother and Wonpil hyung! I can do this... I can save them!_

He observes the mercenaries. They're all wearing earpieces.

_These idiots are going to regret what they've done. Sungjin hyung, Wonpil hyung, I wish I could tell you to cover your ears... I'm really sorry about this._

The deafening silence that follows causes the men to panic as they try to talk to each other but can't hear a thing. Dowoon then shifts his concentration to the earpieces and blasts the static noise to an impossibly loud volume. Immediately, the men fall to their knees scrambling to take off their earpieces. Two have fainted, ears bleeding. But the remaining four, including the man who attacked Wonpil, were quick enough, they were back on their feet in no time. Dowoon plays with the ambient sounds this time removing and returning it to disorient them. Two more faint and one ends up vomiting. One to go. The man sways on his legs but refuses to fall.

"You little shit!" he shouts at Dowoon. "You know how we found out where you are?"

This catches the boy's attention, making his concentration falter.

"Your weak friend. What's his name? Young whatever it is."

Dowoon staggers and falls, weak from using too much of his powers. He does his best to stay focused as he sits up, leaning against the wall.

"We broke him, literally. His powers are so useless, he couldn't use it against us. He couldn't even heal himself. But it seems like his boyfriend loves him so much, he gave away your location for the weakling's life."

"Jae hyung..."

"That's right, him. Maybe he didn't hesitate to give it away because he hated you. Didn't you two get in a fight?" the man continues taunting him. "I must thank you for that."

Dowoon's vision blurs, tears welling up in his eyes. This was all his fault. If only he weren't so stubborn and made up with Jae at the cafe.

"H-Hyung I'm sorry," he cries quietly to no one.

"2 out of 5. Not so bad for my track record. Let's make that 3, shall we?" the man whispers boastfully in his ear.

Dowoon, fighting back the tears, gathers all his strength and screams, but the man had already predicted his actions. He swiftly covers Dowoon's mouth, bashing the boy's head against the wall in the process. Taking out a syringe, he watches with delusional glee as fear grows in the boy's eyes. Dowoon struggles to free himself from the man's grip, but it is all in vain as the needle finally pierces his skin.

"Collection complete."


	9. (Hidden Chapter II)

Dowoon peers through heavy eyelids. He blinks his eyes a couple of times as they adjust to the brightness. There's someone beside him, but he isn't sure who it is. "Hyung..." he calls out. There were only four people he could think of.

"Dowoon," Jae whispers softly, brushing away the hair which had fallen on the boy's eyes.

The young boy stirs. _What a horrible nightmare_ , he thinks to himself.

"How are you feeling?" 

Dowoon recognizes the voice this time. “Jae hyung? My head hurts..." 

"I-It's me." Jae answers, choking back the tears as he helps Dowoon sit up. As if he weren't already being eaten up by his guilt, he feels even much worse that there's nothing he can do to ease the pain his friend was feeling.

"Hyung?” Dowoon can't believe it's Jae infront of him. He looks like he had been crying and Jae never cries. It's the worse Dowoon has ever seen his friend. He looks around, unable to recognize where they are. They're alone in an empty room--no beds, no desk, no scattered clothes on the floor. It was nothing like home. Then it hits him, it wasn't a dream. Like cold water poured over him, fear seeps into his bones.

"Dowoon I’m-“

"Hyung!" he hugs Jae like he's never letting go and starts crying. "I-I'm so sorry. If I hadn't been so stubborn we would've been safe at home right now.”

Jae can't help but shed a tear with the boy. Even their youngest had been dragged into this, whatever it is the man wants to achieve. He's afraid, and to think he had considered himself to be the bravest in the group, but he knows that in order to survive, he mustn't let his fears get the best of him. They still have an advantage--they have their powers and they have each other.

He doesn't know if he's doing it right, but Jae continues rubbing Dowoon’s back in an attempt to comfort the boy, insisting that none of this was any of their fault.

"S-Sungjin hyung? Wonpil-"

The door suddenly opens and Sungjin stumbles inside, followed by guards and the person they all fear.

"D-Dowoon..." Sungjin says in a small voice. He was dreading to see his brother, because it only meant one thing: they were in the same situation, trapped in some place where they were going to be experimented on and possibly even worse, killed.

Dowoon runs to Sungjin but the man pulls him away as soon as he was within arm's reach of his brother. 

“Let me go!” 

As he opens his mouth to scream, he feels the man inject him on the neck. He had been expecting them to try and stop him, but he's determined to get to his brother. He knows there's still time before the sedatives take effect; he can still take down a few of the men. Dowoon screams as loud as he can, but his voice cracks. What he doesn't know is that it isn’t a sedative he was injected with.

Dowoon reaches for his throat. It feels like he had swallowed fire, like his neck were burning. He claws at his throat gasping for air.

"Dowoon!"

"What did you do to my brother?!"

"I would offer you a shot too but I only have one left. It's still on trial production you see."

"You bastard!" Jae shouts.

"Who's the bastard who gave out his friends' location?!" the man roars, making Jae fall silent.

Jae's eyes meets Sungjin's but he quickly looks away in guilt.

"Thank you, now I can move on to more pressing matters."

The man passes Dowoon to one of the guards. The boy still has his hands on his neck. He tries to speak but nothing comes out. He had become mute.  _Hyung_ , he mouths, afraid.

"I injected him with a serum that, well, shuts him up. The effects are temporary. Unless I inject him with another dose, then you'll probably never hear his voice again. We can try and see if you want..." The man brings the needle near Dowoon's neck, making the boy struggle against the guard holding him.

"I'll do it! I'll do what you want! Don't hurt him!" Sungjin says quickly.

"Wonderful! I knew you were going to change your mind!"

"What are you going to make him do?" Jae seethes.

"He's going to tell me a story about your fondest memory of your boyfriend." The man pats Jae on the cheek.

Jae feels like his heart drops to the pit of his stomach. _What_ _if_ _he_ _finds_ _out_ … _No!_ _He_ _can't_ _know!_ He thrashes around in anger.

"Wait for your turn, you rude boy!" The man slaps Jae so hard, blood trickles from where his lip splits.

"Start with your brother!" he orders Sungjin.

"I need to touch him..."

"Stop making things up! You're really testing me, aren't you?" The man brings out the syringe again.

"It's faster that way! Unless you aren't in a hurry," he lies further, hoping the man would eat it up.

The man grabs Dowoon and pushes him to the middle of the room. Sungjin quickly runs to his brother's side. He wants to hug his brother but he knows he's going to break down the moment he does. He needs to be strong for him--for them.

"Are you okay Dowoon?"

The boy nods, grabbing onto his brother's sleeve, trembling.

"Enough with the drama. Let's get the ball rolling!"

++++++

_Younghyun was on the swing, rocking slowly, both his feet barely leaving the ground._

_He was waiting for Jae. It always took the boy forever to finish his assignments. He had restrained himself from going to his friend's house to do his homework for him. He needed to teach Jae how to be a responsible student for once._

_"Hyung!"_

_Younghyun nearly fell out of his seat. He thought he'd been alone all this time. He looked about, but there was no one around._

_"Up here!" The voice seemed distant._

_Younghyun looked up, he scanned the playground until he found a boy sitting on a branch up a tree. It was Dowoon. The boy and his family moved into their neighborhood recently. Jae told him the kid could manipulate sounds. He was jealous._

_"What are you doing up there Dowoon? It's dangerous."_

_"My earphones fell. Can you pick it up for me hyung?”_

_Younghyun stood up, he didn’t have anything else better to do anyway, maybe he could climb the tree as well. But before he could take another step, someone called him out._

_"Younghyun!" It was Dowoon's brother. The boy who could read minds._

_"What do you want?"_

_"That's Sungjin hyung for you! Mind your manners." Sungjin pushed Younghyun aside as he took the boy's seat._

_Younghyun didn't pay him any mind. He decided he was going to visit Jae and help him instead. He should have done that from the very beginning. But first he was going to help Dowoon._

_"Where are you going?" Sungjin's tone was demanding._

_None of your business, he said in his head._

_"You're lame.“_

_These were the times Younghyun wished he had Dowoon's powers. He tried not to let Sungjin's words affect him. He was an empath and he had to control his emotions unless he wanted to hurt someone, that was what his mom had told him._

_"Off to play with that boy? For someone as powerful as him, I didn't think he'd befriend someone like you. I should be the one he should be hanging out with.”_

_Younghyun rolled his eyes. This guy was full of himself._

_“You have really bad manners.”_

_So do you, Younghyun answered back in his head._

_Sungjin picked up a pebble and threw it at Younghyun, hitting him square on the head._

_"You going to tell on me to your father?!" Sungjin shouted. "Oh right... You don't have one."_

_That was it. Sungjin had just tipped the scale. Younghyun wasn't going to have anymore of it. That was the first and last time anyone was going to mock his father._

_He ran to the older boy and pushed him off the swing._

_"Don't you dare talk about my father! And I have powers! I'm an empath!" Younghyun didn't care if anyone heard him. He had endured all this time because he knew Sungjin’s words wouldn't make him lesser of a person. But the mention of his father made him feel the emptiness, the longing. If his father were still alive, would he have defended him from people like Sungjin?_

_“GET OFF ME!”_

_“I have powers! It’s up to me if I want to use them infront of you or not!”_

_“You’re just saying that because you don’t have any!” Sungjin said trying to push the boy off him._

_Younghyun’s mom insisted that he didn't need to use his powers. Powers don't make a person great, it's his heart that makes him so, his mom once said, or something to that effect._

_He also didn't see the point of having to know someone else's feelings. He tried it on Jae once but the boy wasn't feeling anything then. It was pointless._

_“I’ll show you! I-I can read your emotions!”_

_Younghyun grabbed Sungjin’s wrist. He concentrated hard. He concentrated and concentrated, but he couldn’t feel what the older boy was feeling._

_What is he feeling?! Younghyun accidentally said out loud in his head. I want to know what he’s feeling! He gripped Sungjin’s wrist tighter._

_“You liar!” Sungjin overturned Younghyun, so that the boy was now lying on the sand. “I knew it!” He laughed as the boy struggled beneath him._

_“Hyung stop!” Dowoon shouted in the distance._

_None of them paid him any attention._

_“I’ll tell everyone! Jae wouldn’t want to be friends with you anymore!”_

_“NO! G-GET OFF ME!”_

_With one strong shove Younghyun was able to push Sungjin off. He pinned the older boy's right hand to the ground and with his remaining hand he was going to shut the boy up once and for all. He pulled back a fist, ready to throw a punch._

_"Hyung don't!" Dowoon came in between them._

_Sungjin looked faint. Younghyun hadn't realized that the boy had even stopped fighting back. He immediately let go._

_"You're right. I don't have a father. I-I don’t have powers. But at least I have a heart!" Younghyun was red in the face. His dad would have been proud of him._

 

_"I was waiting for you!" Jae opened the door for Younghyun. "Have you- Hey, are you okay?"_

_"Y-Yeah..." Younghyun went straight up to Jae's room._

_“You have sand all over you…”_

_Younghyun ruffled his hair vigorously, leaving specs of sand in his wake._

_"It’s Sungjin again, isn't it? That jerk! Where is he?!"_

_"I may have scared him off," Younghyun said recalling the boy's pale face._

_"Really?! I'm so proud of you Younghyun! I taught you well!" Jae pat his friend on the head but pulled away immediately._

_"Y-Younghyun?" Jae felt the sadness and frustration of his friend like it were his own. He was always able to sympathize with his friend but this was something else._

_"Hmm?"_

_It was gone in an instant._

_"Nothing…”_

++++++

"What are you going to do with those memories?" Sungjin asks angrily. 

He was drained. He had gone through Jae’s memories right after Dowoon’s and had told the man so many things. None of it made any sense to him but he knew he had to keep talking unless he wanted to see any of his friends get hurt.

"You'll find out later. You just made everything crystal clear for me. As a reward I'll let you enjoy yourselves… for a while. Go hug and cry in a corner, or whatever you kids do these days. I'll have to pay your friend a visit."


	10. The White Room

"Good you're awake."

Younghyun immediately recognizes the voice to be his captor's. He looks up at the man, struggling against his binds.

He had been falling in and out of consciousness, but if his memory still serves him right, this was already the third room he had been placed in since the incident.

The room is white and empty; there's nothing else in it except a lone chair in the middle where he's currently bound on. There's only one way to get out of there and he's seated right in front of it. He had been relentlessly trying to free himself from his restraints but as expected nothing would budge. 

"Are you done... struggling? It's getting very repetitive and boring. So much unlike your boyfriend Jae when I visit him. He's always able to move things around. Because of that..." He exaggerates a sigh. "I unfortunately can't meet him without sedating him."

This triggers Younghyun. He struggles more fiercely, screaming for Jae to be left alone.

"You're obviously in no position to order me what to do. Let's move on to more important things. Well you see Younghyun..." He pauses dramatically. "I know you're hiding something from us."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Younghyun replies stiffly, tired of the mind games.

"To keep you interested, let me put it this way. Your friends, there's only one way to set them free..."

"F-Friends?"

"You sound suprised." He chuckles. "I have acquired the seer and the brothers, thanks to you."

"No... Y-You're lying..."

"It was a team effort Younghyun. We couldn't have done it without you," the man mocks.

"LET THEM GO!"

"I AM TELLING YOU NOW AREN'T I?!" the man roars, his face now only inches away from Younghyun's. "I'm telling you now..." he repeats with an eerie calmness, "...that only your powers can save them."

The tiny sliver of hope in Younghyun's eyes disappears. His powers are of healing and empathizing. If that wasn't enough to set himself free, how much more all five of them.

"I don't understand what you're saying. My powers aren't that strong-"

Younghyun's words are cut short when a bound and gagged Wonpil is dragged into the room, the both of them meeting eye to eye. Wonpil's eyes widen with surprise, relieved to know his friend is still alive after what he had seen in his visions. 

"W-Wonpil..."

"Did you miss each other?" The man asks Wonpil, who could only struggle against the guards holding him.

"Let him go!" Younghyun shouts in anger.

Wonpil falls to Younghyun's feet as he is shoved to the floor. At the same time, the guards hold onto Younghyun as they unfasten one of the straps on his arm. The man grabs Wonpil by the hair forcing him to his knees. He pulls Wonpil's shirt by the neck and pulls it down revealing the boy's bare shoulder.

"Go on, put your hand on your friend. Don't be shy."

Both boys look at each other in confusion. Younghyun struggles persistently as his hand is extended over to Wonpil.

"What did you do to him? Did you hurt him? I will kill you all! You bastards!" He shouts at them as he tries to make sense of the situation.

"Ah now that... In the past I would have said it would be impossible for you to kill. But now that I know your real powers, I'd say anything is possible with you."

"R-Real powers?" Younghyun repeats nervously.

"Let me jog your memory for you," offers the man. He shoves Wonpil aside and moves behind the boy and continues to talk right by his ear, "Do you remember when you and Sungjin had a fight? He was teasing you for being weak, for having no powers. A switch probably flipped in that little brain of yours and you lunged at him. If his little brother hadn't been there then you would have probably beaten him to a pulp." 

Younghyun breaks out in a cold sweat. _How does he know?_ Although he remembers that event clearly, he still can't understand where this was leading to.

"Of course you didn't feel any different, you were raised an empath after all. But did you know telepaths are empaths too? Think about it, has Sungjin ever manifested that ability?"

Younghyun isn't able to reply, he doesn't want to. He's trying to convince himself that whatever the man is saying it's all part of his dirty tactics. No one of it was making sense anyway--or was it?

"There's another one of course. Do you remember when Jae was badly injured during your P.E. class? You brought him to the infirmary and begged the school nurse profusely to attend to Jae. You must have even pushed her because she fell. But did you really push her? I don't think so." The man stops momentarily moving infront of Younghyun so he can see the boy's reaction to what he's about to say. "She fell because she was becoming weak, because you were taking her powers! Your school nurse was a mutant. A healer!"

Younghyun's heart is beating so hard it's ready to come out of his throat. He wants to vomit, to pass out. Maybe if he does, Jae would wake him up and tell him he was just having a bad dream.

"In case you didn't know, emapths can heal but not physical wounds Younghyun," the man presses on to the confused boy.

"T-That's not true! It can't be! My m-mom she's an empath! M-Maybe my dad's the healer..." Younghyun doubts himself, he hadn't grown up with a father, but even then, it was still a possibility. "They-"

"They lied to you! They were supressing your powers! They knew you would be dangerous!"

"Shut up! You're lying! Get away from me! Leave me alone!" Younghyun shuts his eyes not wanting his tears to betray him. He has never felt so confused and scared in his life. He wants the truth but at the same time he wants none of it. All he wants right now is to go back to before all of this crap had happened.

"I should really thank Sungjin for helping us gather all that information. Couldn't say he was completely cooperative though."

The man moves leisurely to stand behind Wonpil. "Why do you boys always wait for one of your friends to be hurt before you start following orders?" He kicks Wonpil on the back once, then a second time, then a third.

"Wonpil! No! Stop! Please!" Younghyun returns to thrashing in his seat as he watches Wonpil getting beaten over and over again, the boy letting out muffled cries each time.

"Here's my offer." The man walks over to Younghyun, raising the boy's chin so that they're seeing eye to eye. "The life and freedom of your four friends in exchange for yours... and their powers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Steal Your Powers... :-O
> 
> This wasn't on purpose lol (must have been from my subconscious hmm...) I gave him this power because Young K has a lot of talents irl and which better power to represent that than one that can manipulate powers B-)


	11. The Reason

"Enjoy your time together. This might be the last," the guard says as he slams the door shut behind Wonpil.

Wonpil can't get himself to move from his position by the door, eyes brimming with tears. One step and he feels like his knees will give, out of exhaustion, but mostly out of relief that he's finally together with the rest of his friends.

Jae is unconscious, lying on Sungjin's lap. Dowoon is hunched over in a corner, head pressed to his knees.

"Wonpil," the leader calls his name, worried.

Wonpil can't hold back his tears any longer. He has been wanting someone to comfort him, like how his parents had comforted him when he discovered his powers. He wants someone to tell him everything's going to be alright, that they'd be able to get out of there alive. Sungjin happens to be the closest to a father figure he's had growing up away from his parents. He can't help but want to run to Sungjin and embrace him, be embraced back. But he knows how their leader hates skinship. Wonpil has only ever seen him hug Dowoon, and that's probably an exception because they're brothers.

"Come here Wonpil." Sungjin opens his arms, knowing exactly what the boy needs in that moment. Wonpil runs up to him bursting into tears. "It's going to be alright Wonpil. We'll get out of here alive... Don't be afraid."

"Hyung I'm sorry I couldn't save us," Dowoon joins them. Sungjin wraps an arm over his brother's shoulder. Each of them finding comfort in each other's warmth.

"How is Jae hyung?" Wonpil asks as they settle down. He holds the unconcious boy's hand and squeezes it tight, hoping to get a response.

"They injected him with a sedative. He should wake up soon," the leader replies as they watch Jae's steadily rising and falling chest.

"Y-Younghyun." Jae stirs in his sleep. "Younghyun. No! Not Younghyun!"

Jae wakes up with a start. He forces himself to sit up despite his headache and tries to take in the new environment. When he realizes he's finally with his friends, his face brightens up, tears welling up in his eyes. He gives each one of them a huge hug. Dowoon, Sungjin, Wonpil, then a pause, a realization that they weren't complete.

"Where's Younghyun?" Jae asks, eyes full of hope but his smile slowly fading. The silence that follows scares him. "Younghyun! Where is he? Sungjin y-you can find him right? I-I mean get into his consciousness. Find out if he's okay," he begs the telepath. 

"Jae, my powers can't go past these walls. I've tried. I'm sorry." 

"No..."

"I saw him," Wonpil speaks up. "Just before they brought me here, they brought me to Younghyun hyung. He's alive and I don't think they're planning on harming him... for now."

"What do you mean?" Jae asks.

"It's complicated. Sungjin hyung can you help me?"

Wonpil extends his hand to let Sungjin enter his memory.

"Oh my god," Sungjin gasps as he releases Wonpil's hand. "T-That's why that man made me find those memories. Younghyun's powers. My... He can-"

"He can take people's powers," Jae interjects quietly.

"Hyung! You knew about this?"

"Younghyun's family and mine were very close. Both our families were the only ones who knew that Younghyun could absorb powers. I was constantly reminded by my mom not to stay too close to him, despite that Younghyun's mom was very understanding about it. She also wanted him to grow up without anyone fearing him so she raised him as an emapth, just like her. Even Younghyun doesn't know his real abilities. They made sure he never found out. They did their best to suppress it.

"But I never really cared about his powers. I just wanted to be friends with him. When both our parents saw how close we had become, instead of separating us, they taught me how to make a barrrier to protect Younghyun and prevent him from potentially taking what was not his.

"That's why we're very close. I consider myself his guardian," Jae says, wiping away his tears.

"When he could suddenly heal I knew he had accidentally taken someone else's powers, but his mom just pretended like it was inherent in him and she never taught him how to use it. He learned how to use it all by himself."

The room falls silent as they take their time to digest this new information, everyone feeling pity for their friend.

Sungjin clearly remembers that fight they had. They were about 10 years old and his family had just moved in a few houses away from Younghyun's and Jae's. Even though they had grown up as close friends, that childish fight which had already been buried in their memories, meant to be forgotten, still stirred up guilt in his chest. Now at least he knows he had payed his debt, by the form of his ability being taken from him.

"They're forcing Younghyun hyung to take our powers," Wonpil breaks the silence. "The man said he'll set us free if hyung does it."

"That doesn't make sense! Younghyun hyung then?" Dowoon protests.

"H-He's going to be left behind..." Wonpil chokes out. He shivers at the thought of one of them being left behind.

Jae gets up. "That's not going to happen! I'm going to make sure he's coming home with us! Powers or no powers we're all getting out of this hell hole."

"What's the commotion here?" A guard opens the door to check on them.

Dowoon pulls on Jae's wrist. _He's_ _going_ _to be targeted_ _first_ _if he'_ s _standing up._   _I_ _won't_ _let_ _them_ _hurt_ _my friends_ _again_.

The guard enters with what seems to be a tranquilizer gun. As the door closes behind him, he aims at Jae, but shoots at nothing. Jae is suddenly behind the guard, Dowoon falling on his butt from his half standing half sitting position right beside the older boy, just as they were a few seconds ago. The sudden confusion gives Jae leverage to take the gun and shoot the man.

Everyone stares at Jae, their jaws hanging open. 

"Hyung... y-you... you can... teleport?" Dowoon stutters, still holding onto Jae, too shocked to move. 

Jae himself is speechless. "I-I've never been able to do this..." 

"Did they perhaps inject us with superpowers?" Wonpil checks his arm where he was injected a couple of times when they first arrived at the facility. "Maybe I can teleport too!"

"I don't think so... Why would they do that?" Sungjin shoots down the thought. "It's only going to make us stronger and help us escape."

"Hyung do it again!" Dowoon urges Jae, removing his hand so as not to hinder the older boy from teleporting.

Jae pours all of his concentration on a different spot in the room, like he had done earlier. Everyone waits, but nothing happens.

_How was I able to do it? What else was there?_

Jae looks down at Dowoon who was staring at him with new admiration. He resembles the kid he's supposed to be, sitting with his legs in a W position, hands on his lap. Sungjin used to scold him for sitting that way and Jae would call Sungjin out for being such an adult, making Dowoon giggle.

Jae crouches down beside Dowoon. "Dowoon... I don't think this isn't going to make any sense to you... It's just a wild guess... But I think you're the reason I was able to teleport." He smiles.

Dowoon blinks innocently back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to name this chapter The Key instead of The Reason. I watched Day6's Show Champion behind again recently, the one where they're solving a mystery. Dowoon says there that he's 'the key' after he finds a clue :'D Ah how I wish I stuck with The Key as this chapter's title.


	12. A Crack on the Wall

Dowoon can't comprehend how he's supposed to be the reason why Jae was able to teleport. 

"I remember my mom telling me that we all have different levels of powers. Our advanced powers could come with experience, some need to be learned, while others just have to be triggered," Jae explains.

"That means-" Wonpil is cut short when guards enter the room.

They had completely forgotten about the other guard knocked out on the floor.

Each boy is subdued by a guard. However, they didn't seem to be there only to retrieve the fallen guard. Two more guards arrive approaching Dowoon.

Sungjin reacts instinctively. He easily overpowers his guard and runs to Dowoon, but he is quickly intercepted by two others who proceed to beat him up.

"No! Hyung!" Dowoon cries as he writhes, trying to set himself free.

As Sungjin losses consciousness they raise him up by his shirt and put on a silver collar around his neck. 

"We expect everyone to cooperate if no one wants to be beaten up like him," one guard announces.

Dowoon curses at them. He attempts to scream only to be punched. Blood begins to trickle from the split on his lip. 

"Try doing that after we put this on," the man says putting on him a silver collar similar to his brother's.

They move on to Jae who had been eyeing the collar intently. Before they are able to put the collar on him, he throws the object across the room with his power.

"You are the worse one among your friends, you know that?" The guard grabs Jae by the jaw.

Jae spits on the guard's face and in return he gets stabbed with a tranquilizer. The guards put on his collar and leaves him to fall to the floor.

Wonpil isn't able to do as much as struggle as the last collar is secured around his neck.

"Keep it down," a guard warns them as they leave the room.

Dowoon quickly runs to his brother while Wonpil hurries to Jae.

"They'll end up killing him if they keep sedating him like this," Wonpil mumbles angrily.

"Sungjin hyung and Jae hyung have always been so headstrong. I wish I could be as brave as them," Dowoon says sadly, wiping off blood from his brother's wounded face.

Wonpil holds out his hand and Dowoon takes it, finding comfort in the familiar warmth.

"I wish Younghyun hyung were with us."

"Me too."

Suddenly both of them experience a shock around their necks. The following pain they feel are different. For Dowoon, it's a high pitched frequency coursing through his head. He crumples to the ground covering his ears to the nonexistent sound. For Wonpil, it's simultaneous visions of the past, present and future. There's too much going on that his head feels like it's going to explode. He cries out in pain praying for the visions to stop. 

It doesn't come as a surprise that their collars are supposed to prevent them from using their powers, but what puzzles them is why it was triggered when none of them were using their powers. 

Dowoon is the first to recover from the pain. Opening his eyes he sees a familiar figure seated on a chair right across the room. He rubs his eyes to make sure it isn't just a hallucination caused by the collar.

"H-Hyung..." He taps Wonpil's shoulder.

"Ugh, that was too much. My head," Wonpil murmurs rubbing his temple. 

Dowoon still hasn't stopped tapping.

"Dowoon you too? Are you okay?"

"H-Hyung... Over there...." He points at the wall.

Wonpil rubs his eyes vigorously. Did the wall break down? He can see the other side of the room. He can see-

"Hyung! D-Dowoon! That's Younghyun hyung!"

Both boys approach the wall slowly. Wonpil cautiously touches the wall and a rippling effect causes him to withdraw his hand immediately. 

"What is this?" Wonpil wonders. "I don't recall Younghyun's room being next door. I'm sure we rode an elevator at some point."

"Hyung I think it's a portal," Dowoon says, touching the rippling boundary.

"I don't understand what's going on, where are all these powers coming from? I mean I do recall thinking about Younghyun hyung before this happen, but-"

Dowoon avoids Wonpil's eyes.

"Could it be really you Dowoon? Perhaps you really do amplify our powers, triggering the stronger ones to manifest?" 

"I-I don't know hyung. But I felt the collar too. We must have been using our powers together to create that portal."

Wonpil peeks around the room through the portal. Younghyun is all alone.

"I don't know how long this portal is going to last but I'm going in there to save Younghyun hyung," he tells Dowoon. "Stay here and look after the hyungs, okay? I'll be right back!"

Wonpil enters the portal. He looks back and gives Dowoon a thumbs up. He quickly runs to Younghyun and doesn't waste any time removing his restraints.

Younghyun stirs in his seat, awakened by the unfamiliar sound of his bindings coming undone. He looks up to see Wonpil smiling at him.

"Wonpil! How? Oh my god!"

"I'll explain that later. Let's go!" Wonpil helps Younghyun towards the portal. 

"Hyung quickly!" Dowoon signals to them as he notices the portal slowly shrinking.

Wonpil and Younghyun makes a run for the portal, making it in time before it disappears, leaving a crack on the wall.

Younghyun hugs Wonpil and then Dowoon. Both boys, who had been hurt earlier, are healed.

"Dowoon, Wonpil... I-It's all my fault... I-I tried so hard, b-but I couldn't use m-my powers against them. I-I'm so sorry," Younghyun stammers apologetically, sobbing uncontrollably as he recalls how he was beaten up in front of Jae forcing the older boy to give away their friends' location. "I would have chosen to die," he adds. He had been so exhausted from all the mental and physical pain that he can't stop his tears from falling.

"Hyung don't say that!" Dowoon hugs Younghyun crying with him.

As the boys comfort each other, they finally get a chance to see their older friend's face clearly. They are appalled to see how battered Younghyun looks. His lip was split, there's dried up blood running down the side of his head, and his right cheek is badly bruised. Who knows how much more bruised he was under his clothes?

Younghyun looks around him and finds Jae on the floor, Sungjin next to him. 

"Jae! Sungjin hyung!"

Seeing how badly hurt Sungjin is, he gently touches the leader's face, healing the cuts and bruises. Sungjin wakes up, surprised to see Younghyun.

"Younghyun is that you? Is that really you?" Sungjin hugs Younghyun. "H-How did you get here? Oh my god, what have they done to you? You're hurt."

"Hyung I'm fine," Younghyun replies with a smile. He tries wiping blood off his face.

"Wonpil's going to have to do the explaining to the both of us," Younghyun looks Wonpil who's pointing an accusing finger at Dowoon.

The mood in the room lightens.

"Before that, let me heal Jae."

Younghyun moves to his best friend's side. He sits down beside him, carefully placing the unconscious boy's head on his lap. He looks at Jae with tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry hyung I couldn't protect you." 

As tears fall on Jae's face, he begins to regain consciousness. His vision is blurry but Jae doesn't doubt for a second who the person beside him is. He quickly sits up, colliding his head with Younghyun's chin.

"Ouch!" 

"That must have hurt hyung," Younghyun says putting his hand on Jae's head. But instead of taking the pain away, he ruffles his best friend's hair. "I'm sorry hyung but your head is beyond repair. It's hopeless. I tried-"

Younghyun suddenly stops joking. Jae is gazing at him, like they haven't seen each other in years.

"Younghyun!" Jae hugs his best friend tight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to confirm that Jae and Young K's (I was going to say Brian oops) relationship is purely platonic. It's just that evil man who keeps labelling them as boyfriends... Also, if you noticed I sometimes don't add hyung when Younghyun talks to Jae because they're that close to be able to speak casually. Younghyun is Jae's only exception when it comes to formalities haha!


	13. Calm Before the Storm

"What is it?" Sungjin tugs at the collar around his neck. "I don't remember-"

"You don't remember because they beat you up pretty bad before putting it on you," Jae explains. "It's supposed to stop us from using our powers."

"How did you know hyung?" asks Dowoon who's had first hand experience of being "stopped" by the collar.

"Because he watches too much movies, that's why," Younghyun answers instead of Jae, only to be glared at.

"It's just common sense, okay?" Jae defends himself. "I mean, I don't think this was made to make me look fashionable. It looks tacky as hell to me. It should serve some other purpose. Maybe it'll choke you to death." He playfully wraps his hands around Younghyun's neck and tickles him.

A glint of silver around Younghyun's neck catches Wonpil's eye.

"Wait... hyung, you have it too?"

"That means-"

"It didn't hurt. I didn't feel anything while I was healing you," Younghyun lies without a hitch.

"Are you sure hyung? Because Wonpil hyung and I experienced it. It was torture." 

Younghyun just nods, puts on a smile, despite the recollection of the pain he felt whenever he healed them. He keeps it to himself how he experienced the same physical and emotional pain the person felt, but with more intensity.

"I don't even have to read your mind to know that you're lying..." Sungjin shakes his head. "No one's going to use their powers from now on until we get this thing off, understood? You especially Kang Younghyun."

"Yes dad."

"Funny. I'm being serious, son." Younghyun and Sungjin roll their eyes at each other.

"Sungjin hyung's right, no one should use their powers. This thing is very scary... It messed up my visions. I thought my head was going to explode," Wonpil recalls.

"Then it must be different for each of us because I was hearing high pitched noises in my head."

"Wonpil, Dowoon you have more explaining to do," Sungjin demands. "How did Younghyun get here?"

Wonpil begins telling them about the shock from the collars and the sudden appearance of the portal.

"No way, you can create portals?!" Jae asks, unbelieving.

"I don't know how I made it. I mean I don't think I would have been able to do it on my own. Dowoon must have made it with me. I just concentrated on Younghyun hyung, and when I opened my eyes he was right there, across the room." He points at the thin crack on the wall.

"Jae hyung can teleport, Wonpil hyung can make portals, and I-I'm supposed to amplify powers... I wonder what the rest of us can do."

"Wait, wait, wait... Jae can what?!" Younghyun stares at Jae, mouth agape.

The older boy puffs out his chest boastfully. Younghyun tries is hardest not to burst out in laughter.  _If_   _he_   _only_   _knew_ _he looks like a-_

"Hyung! You look like a baby bird!" Wonpil points out, completing Younghyun's thoughts. He even attempts to mimic Jae, making the room erupt in laughter. 

If there were an object he could throw across the room, Jae would have already risked getting shocked by his collar just to get back at Wonpil. He gets up but Younghyun holds him back, the sound of his laugh resonating across the room.

"So, how do you do it Dowoon? If you're the trigger, then what triggers you?" Younghyun asks their youngest member, when everyone's calmed down.

"I'm not sure, but the two instances it happened I... I think I felt compelled to protect."

"There we have it! We actually have hope," Wonpil says, clapping his hands together.

"It's gonna be tough though, we can't expect Dowoon to be beside the four of us at all times."

"That's not the problem right now. Even if he's able to use his powers, what are we going to do about these?" Jae tugs at his collar. "And Younghyun. It's only a matter of time before they find out he's missing. They'll surely come here to check."

"If they see all of us together. They'll just force him to use his powers on us," Sungjin adds.

Younghyun's heart drops. He had almost forgotten about the offer.

"Younghyun whatever it is you're thinking, we're not going to allow you to sacrifice yourself for the freedom of the rest of us. Do you really think they'll even set us free?

"I saw what happened Younghyun, everyone knows. Even about your real powers..." the leader says carefully. "We're not going to allow them to hurt you anymore. We're not going to make their evil plans succeed."

"Hyung... if I have to do it then-"

"No hyung!" Wonpil shouts.

"No one's going to be left behind Younghyun!"

"Can't you all just shut up for a minute?!" Jae raises his voice out of the blue surprising everyone. He's toying with his collar, eyes closed as if deep in thought.

"Dowoon, do you remember the emotions that triggered your new power?" There's something very odd about the way Jae is acting.

Dowoon nods hesitantly. 

"Wonpil! You jerk!" Jae charges at Wonpil.

Everyone gets up to break up the fight. Dowoon who was closest to Wonpil comes in between the two, trying to push them apart. There are hands everywhere--grabbing, shoving, trying to throw punches. The room is filled with noise until Jae disappears and teleports himself to the other side of the room.

Silence.

The sound of metal falling from Wonpil's hand to the floor resonates through the room.

More silence.

Jae pants heavily as he supports himself on the wall. The rest are holding their breaths.

"God that hurt." Jae rubs his neck, now free of the silver collar. "Dowoon, you okay?" He checks on the youngest.

Dowoon's too shocked that he doesn't reply. He did hear the same head splitting frequencies right before Jae teleported and it sure was painful but it was nothing compared to what the older boy had achieved.

"J-Jae... H-How?" Younghyun blinks back and forth from Jae to the silver collar on the floor which marked where the telekenetic-slash-teleporter was standing a few seconds ago.

Jae slides down to the floor still catching his breath, his nose now bleeding.

"Hyung! Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine, it was just that collar," he explains wiping blood off his nose. "Wonpil, sorry! Here! Dowoon yours too." He throws both Wonpil and Dowoon's collar at their feet.

"By the way, thanks for holding onto my collar Wonpil. I honestly didn't think any of that would work. That was some sheer dumb luck and superb acting, don't you think?"

The rest still haven't moved from their places, totally dumbstruck. Jae made it work, he actually removed three of their collars, and without casualties at that. Not only could he teleport himself, he could teleport objects as well.

"Dowoon, your powers are truly impressive! Thank you! I'm really sorry you had to go through that pain again," Jae finishes.

"Hyung! Do you realize you might have cut my head off?!" Wonpil finally speaks, holding onto his neck. "What if my entire head teleported with you?!" 

"That would have been better, actually." Jae snorts.

Wonpil who looks like he's about to cry runs over to Jae to hug him. "You're the best hyung ever. I love you!"

Jae tries pushing the boy off of him in disgust, but Wonpil had practically wrapped himself around the older boy like a snake on its prey.

Sungjin and Younghyun clear their throats simulatenously.

"Okay I'm not healing you anymore Wonpil," Younghyun crosses him arms.

"Congratulations Wonpil! You get to do all the chores at home," Sugjin says cheerfully. "My dearest brother, you are now officially free from your duties."

Dowoon cheers and soon the entire room is laughing once again.

"Three down, two more to go." Jae gets up and gathers Younghyun and Sungjin in front of him. "Do you trust me?" He asks with that smile of his that Younghyun wants to wipe off his face.

"Just don't us killed please..." Sungjin sighs.

"Then let's get it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to apologize if the superpowers are outrageous and go beyond the handbook of superpowers, but Day6 needs to escape from my evil plot! I hope you're enjoying so far. :)


	14. How Can I Say?

"Fuck!" Jae curses when the door suddenly opens. He was just about to teleport when the guards barge in. He quickly sets up a protective barrier but it's too weak, still not having fully recovered from using his powers earlier. It takes only a few shots for it disintegrated, and the guards the are seizing the boys once again. 

Younghyun calls out to Jae as he gets dragged out of the room. Denied of his powers he's unable to do anything as a needle sinks into his skin. The last image he sees are of his friends struggling in vain. His vision blurs with tears, and then darkness.

++++++

"What do you want?" Younghyun glares at the man as he walks into the room.

He's back to being confined in the white room. He knew being together with the others was too good to be true and that their streak of luck was bound to be broken at some point.

The man rubs his temple as he talks. "Well you see, your tiresome friends aren't telling me the truth, so I came here to take it from you."

"You're not getting anything from me," Younghyun replies adamantly.

"Technically it's not me..."

The door opens and someone's dragged into the room. 

"...but your dear friend Sungjin. He volunteered to read your mind."

The guards take off Sungjin's collar and pushes him towards Younghyun.

"Go on then, use your powers on him. I won't even ask how he escaped. Just tell me how the collars were removed! Who did it?!" The man shouts impatiently. "Let me remind you, I know lies when I hear them. So don't you dare lie to me or I will kill your brother right infront of you."

"Hyung no," Younghyun pleads to Sungjin.

"I can't read his mind if his collar is still on," Sungjin tells the man, maintaining eye contact with his friend.

Younghyun looks at him in confusion, but then he understands the leader's intentions.

"Take it off!" the man orders the guards in frustration.

With Younghyun's collar removed Sungjin moves to place his hand on his friend's, but before he's able to do so, the man injects him with a substance.

"I don't trust any of you. I injected you with a little experiment of ours. It's supposed to make you feel extreme pain when you lie. You might be lucky enough to live after this," he whispers to Sungjin. "We haven't tried it on anyone else yet."

"Honestly we could have done it without any of your friends, you just needed to tell me the truth after all. But since you said please, I decided the little drama would be worth my while. Young boys with raging hormones and their admirable loyalty to one another. Let's see who's going to betray who." He ends with a sickening laugh.

Younghyun and Sungjin exchange panicked looks. 

"I also haven't forgotten your powers Younghyun, so I'm going to make you feel just a little numb so you won't be able to heal your friend when he attempts to lie." He signals the guards to inject Younghyun.

"Is there anything else I'm forgetting?" The man says in a creepily cheerful tone as Younghyun's head lolled to the side. "None? Well good. Sungjin if you may." He forces Sungjin's hand onto Younghyun's, triggering his powers.

"T-The one w-who r-removed the c-collars," Sungjin stutters. "None of us did it!" he forces out a lie and completely regrets it as soon as it escapes his lips. His body feels like it's being set on fire. He holds back the cry of agony he knows the man is waiting to hear.

 _I'm not_ _going to give_ _you_ _the satisfaction,_ he growls in his head.

"I see, it's quite effective. Now if you would stop playing around and tell me the truth!"

"I-It's J-Jae," Sungjin finally blurts out. He pulls his hand away from Younghyun as he stops to catch his breath, clearly broken from having to tell the truth.

"Would you believe that! Jae was telling the truth after all." The man laughs. "You're doing well boy. Go on, tell me more," he edges.

Sungjin's on the verge of breaking. He can't believe he had just betrayed his friend, but he couldn't help it. All of it was becoming too much--the pain, the guilt, knowing all of this could end just by saying Dowoon's name. _No_.

"D-Do- Do-" Sungjin begins stuttering.

The man looks on in anticipation, not even bothered by the fact that Sungjin wasn't even touching Younghyun anymore.

Younghyun can hear the telepath's voice in his head, desperately begging for help and forgiveness. He wants to help Sungjin, stop him from revealing any more information, they can't find out about Dowoon. He tries, in his barely conscious state to communicate in any way possible, but the drug is too potent.

"D-Do... D-Don't make me do this please!" Sungjin chokes out, cheeks stained with tears. "W-We don't know how he did it," he braces for the burning sensation--he'd rather die than give out his brother's name--but when he doesn't feel anything he continues to lie. "Younghyun didn't see it. Nor did I!"

The man slaps him across the face. "I'm disappointed in you Sungjin. You've already betrayed the name of your friend, why are you still holding back?

"The serum is weak. I need it improved, stat!" the man orders on his phone.

"Bring this one back to his cell. No need to put on his collar. Younghyun here will be taking their powers very soon." The man smiles at Younghyun. "Starting with Jae."

++++++

"Hyung! What happened?" Dowoon hurries to his brother as he was brought back into their cell. "Did it work?"

"Dowoon we don't have enough time. I was able to persuade them to remove our collars. But I was forced to give away Jae's name." 

Sungjin shares with his brother his memories of the incident. 

"H-Hyung, a-are they're going to take me too?"

"No Dowoon. Not while I'm alive."


	15. The Glass Room

_The man is standing in a large room looking up at the entire height of a glass enclosure located within the room. He raps on the glass to check its strength. "Very good," he says. Someone approaches him, whispering something in his ear._

_"Teleportation," the man says as if he were trying to digest every letter. "I will see that for myself."_

The scene fades into Dowoon and Jae inside the glass room.

_Dowoon pounds his fists against the glass wall. The sound reverberating through the room._

_"Use your powers Dowoon! Use it!" the voice taunts._

The scene fades again and Wonpil wakes up with a start.

"Wonpil are you okay?"

"Jae hyung! I-I had a vision!" Wonpil panics. "They've found out that you can teleport! I-I saw Dowoon too, I-I think they know about what he can do. Hyung! What are we going to do?"

"What you had to do from the very beginning was to cooperate." It's the man who answers, entering their cell with a group of guards behind him. 

"Get Jae," the man orders as he answers a phone call. "Wait! Wait," he suddenly changes his mind, putting on a smile. He turns his phone on loudspeaker. "Kindly repeat what you just said, my friends here would love to hear it."

It's a voice of a woman, and the words that follow makes Jae and Wonpil's blood run cold.

"We detected increased activity in the blood cells of the other boys whenever Dowoon's blood was in close contact. We've run several tests and the results are consistent. It is most likely that he is also able to affect the others' powers in some way."

The man ends the call, with a grin on his face.

"This day just keeps getting better! Change of plans! Bring the other one too. I want all of them to be there for the show."

++++++

Jae and Wonpil are dragged blindfolded into a larger part of the facility. Wonpil begins to panic when he loses track of Jae's footsteps. He knows this is going to be the manifestation of his vision, but he wishes it were just another vision he'd wake up from.

Jae's blindfold is removed as he is shoved into a glass room. As his eyes adjust to the brightness, he sees through the glass Sungjin, Younghyun and Wonpil, on their knees, blindfolded and their hands bound behind their back. 

"Where's Dowoon?! What did you do to him?!" Jae shouts at the man.

"Good question. Why don't we ask your boyfriend here?" The man grabs a handful of Younghyun's hair. "Why don't you enlighten all of us with how the three of you escaped. Oh no, my bad. I should say _almost_ escaped."

 

_"Help! Someone help me! Dowoon wake up!" Sungjin cried loudly as he cradled Dowoon in his arms._

_A guard entered demading to know the cause of the commotion._

_Sungjin looked into the guard's eyes. "Protect my brother at all costs."_

_The guard's iris glowed with a golden hue then returned to it's original dark brown color. "I-I will," the guard said almost as if reluctantly._

_"Hyung... i-it worked! Your guess was right! You can control people!"_

_"Dowoon, I don't know how long this is going to last so we better get going," Sungjin didn't bother telling his brother he had a vague recollection of controlling animals when he was little. He told himself he would reserve all the storytelling for when they were back at home, safe and sound._

_"Bring us to Younghyun. Find the safest way and remember your top priority is to protect my brother," Sungjin ordered the guard once again._

_The guard was able to navigate them safely through the facility until they reached the white room._

_"His guards will be here soon. Hurry," the guard spoke monotonously._

_"Sungjin hyung! Dowoon!"_

_Sungjin and Dowoon quickly busied themselves removing Younghyun's restraints. Speaking in a hushed voice, Dowoon excitedly told him of his brother's ability to control people._

_"Hyung, I think I can help trigger your real powers," the younger boy said as they helped Younghyun up._

_"Younghyun it'll give us the upper hand if you can start using them again," Sungjin added. "But first, let's get out of here."_

_When they reach a forked path, Sungjin stopped._

_"Dowoon you need to escape," he said looking Dowoon in the eyes._

_“H-Hyung, a-aren’t we going together? W-We're going to go find Jae hyung and Wonpil hyung, aren't we?”_

_“Get my brother safely out of here. Bring him somewhere safe,” Sungjin ordered the guard. He felt the guard’s pockets and took a pocketknife._

_“Hyung?”_

_“For emergency purposes.” Sungjin handed the pocketknife to Younghyun, ignoring his brother._

_“Hyung!” Dowoon shouted this time, not caring about the possibility that there could be other people around._

_“Dowoon you need to go now!”_

_"N-No... I'm not going without you hyung!"_

_Sungjin nodded at the guard. The guard grabbed Dowoon's hand. The boy tried to shake him off, but his grip was firm._

"Dowoon, don't look back."

_The younger boy tried to resist the push, but he eventually found himself running away, unable to take a last glance at his brother and his friend._

 

"Fuck you!" Younghyun replies sharply.

The man pushes him unceremoniously to the floor and kicks him until he cries out in pain.

"While, we're waiting for Dowoon, why don't you have a go at your new powers Jae?" 

Younghyun is pulled back to his previously upright position and his blindfold is removed, as with the rest.

"Hyung."

"Younghyun."

Sungjin and Wonpil can't do as much as struggle as they watch Younghyun breathing heavily, the man's hold on him is the only thing that's keeping him from falling down. Jae on the other hand is enraged, he had been pounding on the glass wall screaming profanities and threats at the man.

"Here's the deal Jae, teleport out of there and I'll leave your friend alone." The man punches Younghyun across the face, making him fall again.

"I-I can't do that! I can't teleport!" Jae says, his voice a mix of frustration and desperation.

"Why Jae? Why can't you do it?!" 

Jae doesn't answer.

"Well, I guess your boyfriend wouldn't mind taking the pain for your incompetence." The man raises Younghyun by the shirt and punches him again.

"No! Don't!"

Jae suddenly falls quiet, concentrating on Younghyun's location.

"Please teleport. Please teleport," he repeats in his head over and over, but to no avail. 

He shuts his eyes tighter giving it one last shot. He can hear Younghyun stifling cries as he was beaten. 

_No! Not again! Not Younghyun! I need to teleport! I need to stop him!_

When he doesn't even move an inch he returns to pounding on the glass wall, harder this time around. "It's me you want! Stop hurting him! You bastard!"

Just then, he hears a familiar voice, a scuffling of feet.

"D-Do-woon..."


	16. If You Can Save Me

"You didn't seriously think that you'd be able to escape, did you?" The man mocks Dowoon, who's clearly too shaken that he hasn't moved at all since he was brought into the glass room, his eyes remained planted on the floor.

The moment Sungjin reads his brother's mind, he's horrified to see images of a dead body. The guard he had controlled was shot dead right infront of his brother. Sungjin can't help but want to launch himself at the man and kill him with his own hands.

"You bastard! You cold-blooded bastard!"

Dowoon finally moves, looking at his brother, his eyes filled with fear.

"Dowoon, do you think I'm a cold-blooded bastard?"

Dowoon looks away.

The man grabs Sungjin by the arm, forcing him to get up. He finally gets the reaction he wants as Dowoon takes a step as if preparing to run through the glass.

"Here's another trade-off. I want you to show me how Jae teleports and I'll let your brother go."

"Don't listen to him Dowoon!" Sungjin warns.

The man kicks Sungjin in the gut making him crumple to the ground.

Dowoon clenches his fist tight. "I don't know anything."

"Come on Dowoon. I had no idea you didn't value your brother's life." The man kicks Sungjin a couple of times before he crouches over him to check the bruises he had made on the boy's face. "Not enough..."

"Don't touch him!"

"Then use your powers Dowoon! Use it!" The man shouts as he raises Sungjin by his shirt.

Dowoon runs to the glass wall, pounding on it. The man notices Jae back away immediately. Now he's sure that Dowoon's the key to making Jae teleport. He immediately takes a gun and points it at the young boy. 

"NO!"

Jae acts on his instincts and quickly pulls Dowoon out of the way. He teleports right at the man, throwing a punch but he's too slow--the man's fist makes contact with him and knocks him down.

"Bring Dowoon to the lab!" the man orders the guards.

"Stand down!" Sungjin and Younghyun's voice booms through the room.

Most of the guards are affected by the push. They obey, stopping and standing still. Only a few are left trying to take down an enraged Dowoon. 

Younghyun's able to free Sungjin and himself amid the commotion, the older boy's bruises gone as if he were never beaten up.

"I said stand down!" Sungjin shouts again. The room falls silent as all the guards finally stop moving.

The man scans the room, his eyes widen in awe at Sungjin's new ability. He quickly grabs Jae, using him as a hostage.

"Try doing anything stupid and I'll kill him," he warns pointing the gun at Jae's head.

"No you won't!"

Jae uses his power to throw the gun across the room. He kicks the man hard on the shin and frees himself. Seeing the man doubled up in pain, he uses the opportunity to throw a punch and make such it lands.

Once. "That's for Younghun."

Twice. "For Sungjin."

Thrice. "For Wonpil."

A fourth time. "For Dowoon."

A fifth. "And this one's for me, you bastard!"

The man falls down. 

"Hyung that's enough. Let's go!"

Sungjin helps Dowoon out of the glass room and they all converge to Wonpil. Younghyun extends his hand and Wonpil takes it with mutual understanding. Slowly a crack begins to form on the wall expanding into a huge round portal. Everyone is speechless, even Wonpil himself who's technically seeing it for the first time can't believe what he's seeing.

"Jae hyung, I'm waaay cooler than you," he brags, unable to contain his excitement.

"Shut up!" Jae replies and silent laughter goes around among the boys. 

Sungjin and Dowoon goes through the portal first, Younghyun following behind them, pulling Jae along to stop the bickering.

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rings in the air.

"I'll find you! All of you! You won't be safe as long as I'm alive!" The man's threatening voice slowly fades as the portal closes.

Wonpil staggers towards his friends.

"Hyung..."

He collapses.

"Wonpil!"

The boys gather around their friend. Wonpil's breathing becomes laboured as blood pools from underneath him. Younghyun can't get himself to place his hands over Wonpil's wound. He's never seen this much blood before that his hands tremble in fear.

"Younghyun focus!" Sungjin grips the healer's shoulder tight. 

"H-Hyung... There's too much blood, m-my powers aren't strong enough. I've never done this before."

Wonpil grimaces from the pain. He mumbles, calling for his mom.

"I-I can at least try to lessen the pain he's feeling." Younghyun holds Wonpil's hand and allows the boy's pain to course through his body.

"And this is the most I can do for him." Jae wraps Wonpil's body with a barrier. "Wonpil you can't die, okay? You still have to do all the chores when we get home, right Sungjin?" He attempts to lighten things up just like how Wonpil would.

Wonpil's breathing steadies, the creases on his forehead lessen. Jae holds onto his hand.

"We need to ask for help," Dowoon says desperately. "Where are we anyway?" He looks around and recognizes the place immediately. "Hyung we're in the-"

"Welcome back to school," a female's voice echoes from the far end of the hallway.


	17. Angels

A nice cool breeze sweeps his face; in the distance he hears a sweet voice humming his favorite song. He opens his eyes, but the bright light makes it too uncomfortable. He tries to shift from his lying position, but his body feels too heavy. He searches his memories.

"A-Am I d-dead?" Wonpil stutters. He remembers the sound of a gunshot and then pain, so much pain. A tear escapes his eye. He starts crying before he even knows it, regretting how he wasn't able to say goodbye to his friends.

"H-Hyung... D-Dowoon... so-sorry," he whispers, even if he knows none of his friends are going to hear him.

The humming stops and a few moments later there's murmuring around him. Someone wipes his tears and then there's a familiar voice telling people to be careful. He squints, someone resembling an angel is approaching. Before he knows it, the said angel has jumped on top of him.

"YAH! PARK JAE HYUNG! I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL! DO YOU PLAN ON KILLING HIM?!"

Wonpil recognizes the voice easily, no one else but Sungjin tells off people that way. And the person he had mistaken as an angel, is in fact, not an angel, but Jae, almost an angel if only the older boy didn't hate him so much.

"O-Ouch! H-Help!" Wonpil cries out clutching his waist where he was shot. 

"Stop overreacting. You're completely healed and obviously conscious now, so move over! I wanna lie down," Jae says, pushing Wonpil aside. 

"Hyung, how are you feeling?" It's Dowoon who's sitting at the edge of the bed, smiling brightly but obviously teary eyed.

"We were worried about you, it took you a while to wake up," Sungjin says.

"Jae hyung! Stop bothering Wonpil! Make yourself useful and help me with this."

Younghyun enters the room bringing a tray filled with food. Wonpil immediately tries to sit up, famished.

"He gets the largest bed and even gets food delivered," Jae grumbles giving Wonpil a fake smile as he helps him sit up. Wonpil smiles back slyly and they share a laugh. 

"It's good to have you back!" Jae clapping his friend on the back firmly.

"Younghyun hyung, thank you." 

"For?" Younghyun smiles sweetly at Wonpil as he arranges the food on top of the bed tray.

"Healing me."

"Um, that... I didn't heal you." There's a long pause as Younghyun sits beside Wonpil. "Well, I... You remember how these powers aren't really mine? So, I couldn't heal wounds as deep as those you sustained. I'm sorry about that."

"What are you saying hyung?" Dowoon butts in. "Younghyun hyung took away your pain since he couldn't physically heal you. Even Jae hyung did his best to help."

Jae narrows his eyes at Dowoon warning him to stop.

"He wrapped you with a barrier and said-"

"OKAY! That's enough! Thank you Dowoon for your blow by blow account of the recent events," Jae interrupts, jumping over Wonpil to tackle Dowoon.

Sungjin returns to nagging as the two run around the room.

Wonpil can't remember the last time he'd seen everyone this way. 

"Hyung," Wonpil places his hand over Younghyun's. "I missed this." His eyes glistened with tears, happy tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter in celebration of Day6's September release, I Loved You! It's such a beautiful song, my poor heart weeps. And the M/V is just all sorts of amazing! Visuals 100%! Acting 100%! If you haven't seen the M/V or heard the song yet you should definitely check it out now~ ♡


	18. The Woman Who Waited

"I heard you were awake. It took you a while." A woman speaks by the doorway.

The noise dies down immediately and everyone gives their polite greetings as the woman enters the room. She sits beside Wonpil and takes his hand in hers.

"All patched up," she says with a sweet smile.

Wonpil thinks the smile looks familiar. He meets Younghyun's eyes and the boy gives him a somewhat sad smile that looked similar to the woman's.

"I was the one who healed you. But if it weren't for Jae and Younghyun, you would probably be dead by now."

"Y-You're Younghyun's mom? B-But I thought you were an empath?" Wonpil blurts.

Younghyun turns around to leave the room but Jae stops him.

"Thank you Jae," Younghyun's mom thanks the boy, as if she had seen what the boy had done. "If you would all stay, I would like to explain myself. Especially to you, Younghyun."

The door is shut and everyone finds a comfortable spot to sit.

"It's going to be a long day," Wonpil murmurs to himself.

+++++++

"I used to be a full empath, until I married Younghyun's father. He was a very powerful mutant. He could manipulate powers. Absorb powers, copy them, transfer them, name it he could do it."

Everyone listens in awe, especially Younghyun who's hearing this about his parents for the first time.

"He worked underground dealing powers. That was how I met him. I seeked him out, desperate to get rid of my powers. He practically saved my life when he turned me down. We fell in love and got married. But Younghyun was the turning point in our relationship, his father left the underground business for good and we chose to live a normal life. Until Younghyun started manifesting his father's powers..."

A pause. The loudest noise in the room is the pounding of Younghyun's heart.

Addressing Younghyun, the woman continues, "We heard rumors that there were people who were out to get your father. We feared for your safety more than anything. If they found out that you had his powers too, they would surely take you away from us, so we planned to move with the help of Jae's parents. But, we got into an accident and your father..."

Another long pause, this time there's heavy breathing.

"B-Before his last breath he swapped his powers with mine. He told me that I could protect you with it, that I could teach you how to protect yourself. You were going to grow up with your father's powers, you were going to be a very powerful mutant like him, b-but I was too afraid that you would end up with the same fate. I wanted to protect you but I wanted to do it my way. He had also passed on to me the different powers he had collected over the years, but I told myself that I would never use them. I never understood the need of having so much powers, until recently.

"When you moved out I wasn't too worried. I was sure your powers were suppressed enough that you could live a normal life like most young mutants and I could use my ability to track you whenever I wanted anyway. But then I lost track of you one day. I-I had a flashback of that day with your father. I immediately sent a vision to one of your friends, to Wonpil. I have been waiting here for you since then."

"Did you really have to lie to me..." Younghyun hesitates. "Mom?"

"Son, I did it to protect you."

"Protect me?" Younghyun stands up unable to deal with the emotional torture this story telling exercise was giving him anymore. "You did an excellent job with that, didn't you?" 

Slap. 

A chorus of gasps.

Silence.

Younghyun slowly touches his cheek, hands trembling, eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you _mom_." Younghyun turns to his mom before storming out the room.

"Is this the life you want to live?" She speaks up before the rest could follow suit. "Always looking behind you, preparing to run away from people hunting you? There's a way. My husband specifically gave our son the power to contain and destroy powers so that when he grows up he could decide what to do with the powers he had no choice in having.

"Please, think about it."


	19. What Can I Do?

The boarding school, usually filled with the boisterous laughter of school kids, was quiet; the spring breeze, which whistled every now and then, welcoming. The boys had left the dormitories to roam the school grounds, which they had for themselves. Memories of their childhood flashed before their eyes as they relived old memories--good ones--back when complicated matters were ones that only involved maths and sciences, back when they used powers only for fun, careful not to use it against anyone unless they wanted to be grounded for eternity, back when being on the run meant Jae had the latest issue of X-Men and the first one to his house gets to read it first, back when they weren't being hunted.

It was fortunate that the headmaster was an acquaintance of Younghyun's mother and also a mutant. He accomodated them, assuring their safety within the premises. He even went to the extent of closing the school down temporarily, disguising the unnatural event as a rat infestation that needed to be addressed.

"I feel like I was the one being lied to," Jae speaks in the silence.

They had settled down by the trees near an open basketball court where they used to play.

"I guess that's how parents instincts are. They make decisions for us thinking it's for the better, even if it may hurt us in the long run." Sungjin says picking the grass.

"Aren't you going to look for him?"

"He needs some space," Jae replies, falling down on the grass, looking up at a blurry image of the blue sky.

Dowoon gets up and walks away from the group. He goes inside the school and by instinct, finds his way to the music room. There he finds Younghyun, sitting infront of the grand piano, pressing the keys softly; the melody, sad and lonely. Dowoon takes a seat beside him and adds to the melody, notes chosen carefully.

Younghyun suddenly stops playing. His tears falling on the keys. 

Dowoon closes his eyes as he surrounds the room with a noise cancelling effect.

"Hyung, you can let it out. No one will hear you.

"I know I'm younger than you and I'm not as mature as Sungjin hyung or Jae hyung yet, so I don't think I'll be able to say the right things, but if there's anything you want to say I'm hear to listen."

No words were exchanged, just silent tears. Younghyun rests his head on the younger's shoulder. Dowoon's assuring hand on his back is more than enough to make him feel safe, comforted.

"Thank you Dowoon. I always envied Sungjin for having a brother like you." 

Younghyun straightens up and messes the younger boy's hair.

"Hyung!" Dowoon whines. "You know it takes forever to do my hair!"

Younghyun laughs.

His eyes look the most alive they had been all day, despite the tears that had dried up around them.

Dowoon smiles brightly at him, thinking the extra hour of re-taming his hair is going to be worth it if it's the only thing that could make his friend smile.

Removing the power he'd cast, he goes to the window calling out, "Sungjin hyung! Jae hyung! Wonpil hyung!"

"Yah! Dowoon! What do you think you're doing?" Younghyun scolds the boy.

"Lunch time!" Dowoon finishes, shooting Younghyun a cheeky grin.

When they were still in school, every lunch time, the boys would race each other to the music room and claim whichever instrument they had wanted to play. It was such a big deal to them that they were so competitive about it. One time, they hid all the extra instruments and left Jae with a triangle--that pissed him off for an entire week.

Younghyun's initial shock turns into amazement at the younger's intentions, and he starts laughing. 

"Tell them to hurry!" he runs to Dowoon's side by the window and peers out into the field. The tiny figures of his friends are running across the field. "Last one gets the triangle!"

"Definitely not me!" Jae shouts, suddenly appearing behind them. 

Younghyun curses, clutching his chest. "Jae you scared me!" 

"Hey Wonpil look, no hands!" Jae shouts below them. He can finally teleport without Dowoon's aid.

Wonpil suddenly stops running. He shuts his eyes, concentrating hard. Sungjin looks behind him when he realizes his friend had lagged behind.

"You wish Wonpil! You're not strong enough to make a portal without Dowoon." He continues running to the building, leaving Wonpil behind.

Sungjin's just about to enter the music room when a portal appears a few inches right infront of him. He's able to keep his balance just enough to avoid stumbling into it, but then Wonpil's arm appears out of it and he pulls Sungjin in as he steps out.

"YAH!!! KIM WONPIL! I WILL KILL YOU! GET YOUR CHEATING ASS DOWN HERE AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

The boys break down in laughter as Sungjin continues throwing a fit from out in the field while Wonpil smugly claims the grand piano for himself. 

++++++

It had turned dark outside when they finished playing. They had gathered on the floor knowing they wouldn't be able to avoid their problems forever. The blissful mood in the room was slowy becoming depressing. It had taken a while for someone to finally speak up.

"So this is how it feels to be lied to." Younghyun forces out a laugh. "I grew up being bullied for being weak. I-I was raised to be weak."

Sungjin and Jae, both feeling guilty, keep their eyes on the floor. 

"I had to learn a portion of the truth from some deluded man who tortured me and wanted me to use my own powers against my friends. Now that I've finally learned the entire truth, my own mother expects me to get rid of the powers I never even knew about. All of them make it sound like everything's so simple." 

No one talks, unsure of how to comfort their friend.

"I don't think we'll be able to go back to our old lives after what happened. We'll always be on the run, hiding from people who want our powers. If we're unlucky, we'll end up l-like m-my f-father," Younghyun breaks down clearly exhausted from everything that has happened. "I didn't want these powers! Mom should have just taken it all from me and made me into a normal human being to begin with. Why did she have to make me go through all this pain?"

"It is exactly because you are also a human being Younghyun, we all are. We may have powers but we're all still rational, thinking creatures, who have the tendency to make stupid choices and make mistakes. Your mother was wrong to lie to you, but it would have been worse if she completely devoided you of an important choice you could have made for yourself. If there's any right in all the wrongs she had committed it's that she  honors your right to choose what to do about your gifts," Sungjin says, finally having the courage to speak up.

"Gifts," Younghyun scoffs. "I don't want any of it. I'm going to find out how to trigger my powers so I can destroy them as soon as possible." He eyes Dowoon. "I'm heading to bed, I'm tired."

"I wish I told him the truth," Jae says, completely disappointed in himself.

"It shouldn't have come from us or anyone else Jae, it should have come from his parents."

"Will he really destroy his powers? I-I don't want to be involved in this hyung," Dowoon worries that his power will trigger Younghyun's power manipulating abilities completely.

"He's going to think things through tonight," Sungjin reassures the boy. "Let's all head back and get some rest. We'll deal with this tomorrow."


	20. The Plan

Younghyun was already up before the sun even rose. Technically, he hadn't slept all night. He kept having bad dreams, one after the other. By the third time, he had woken up crying and he just gave up. 

He had been shooting hoops at the court for the past hour, and in that span of time, he hadn't managed to score a single shot. When the ball that missed the ring for the umpteenth time goes rolling off to the grass, he doesn't bother going after it, instead, he plops to the ground and fixes his gaze on a single cloud in the sky.

Younghyun wakes up from his reverie when a ball bumps his feet. He lifts his head and sees Jae standing by the basketball post.

"Dude, you're getting rusty," Jae says, sitting beside his friend.

Younghyun acknowledges him a small smile, not moving from his spot.

"I'm going to get rid of my powers," he says out of the blue.

"Are you sure?" Jae isn't completely surprised but he's still concerned about his friend's decision.

"At least the ones I've only found about. I'll keep my emapthic powers- No... I should return it to Sungjin hyung," he says as if it's nothing, but his eyes betray him.

"You were meant to have my powers Younghyun, you should keep it." Sungjin walks up to them, Dowoon and Wonpil walking alongside the leader.

"Just to make things clear I'm not destroying anyone else's powers," Younghyun says sitting up. "My mom doesn't know what she's saying, thinking our powers are the problem. It's those evil people after us who are the problem."

Younghyun's mom had left a note through his door the previous night. He didn't bother reading it, thinking it was just her saying goodbye and some other stuff moms tell their kids. He knows he hurt her, but she scarred him as well. He wants to be alone, he needs some time to think. He wasn't going to confront her again with messed up emotions, she's still his mother after all. He plans on dealing with those bunch of lunatics first and then he and his mom can have that parental talk for as long as they want.

"No one's getting rid of their powers," Sungjin says firmly. "And true, those people are the problem. So, how should we deal with them?"

The boys pitch in their ideas, everyone taking the discussion seriously that not one has had the guts to thrown in a joke--either they had a decent suggestion or they kept their mouths shut. Younghyun though, who usually gives the better ideas, has been silent the whole time. He'd give a nod every now and then, but never spoke a word.

"Okay, so we need to lure that man," Jae brings up the topic. "How should-"

"Dowoon is out of the question," Younghyun finally speaks, his voice louder than he had intended. "I'll do it."

"No!" Jae opposes strongly, grabbing onto Younghyun's arm as if he were going somewhere. "Not after everything he did to you! No Younghyun."

"Jae's right. I don't want you anywhere near him without the rest of us. They might also suspect that we're up to something if you suddenly appear on their radar," Sungjin seconds Jae.

"They know Sungjin hyung can control people, if he lures them they would surely come with more back up than necessary. We won't be able to handle it," Wonpil worries.

They're left with Jae and Wonpil.

"I'll do it." Jae raises a hand in the air.

"Hyung, no offense, but they hate you. Even if you appeared at their front door they would probably just shoo you away," Wonpil says earning him a spiteful look from Jae. "I volunteer. My power is valuable enough I would imagine."

"You can't just go displaying your portals in public smart ass." Jae rolls his eyes at Wonpil. "I'll go with him. I'll be the gunsman and he'll be my getaway driver."

"We get to use guns and cars?" Wonpil eyes bulge out of his head in excitement.

"For the love of-"

"It's just an analogy Wonpil..." Younghyun explains, holding Jae back and calming him down.

"Okay here's the plan. I'll make a scene and make sure they find me and Wonpil. We go somewhere secluded so Wonpil can make a portal. The idiots follow us though the portal. Then to finally keep them off our backs we pretend that Younghyun destroys our powers."

"He needs to destroy our powers without actually destroying it..." Dowoon says to himself, unsure about how they would be able to pull this off.

"Plus we need to discuss how we're going to escape. With... or possibly even without our powers," Wonpil adds.

"I'd really love it if we could just kill them all."

"Jae hyung! That's a wonderf-"

"No Wonpil! No one's killing anybody," Sungjin says, much to both the boys' disappointment.

"Maybe we can send them through a different portal?" Dowoon suggests.

"Unless that's in outer space, it'll just be a temporary fix Dowoon. They'll still come back for us."

"If only someone can erase their memories..." Wonpil says mostly to himself, but this catches everyone's attention and they all turn to Sungjin.

"Sungjin hyung...?"

"I-I've never tried that before," Sungjin speaks nervously, avoiding his friends' gaze.

"You think you can make them believe things too?"

"Umm..."

Sungjin can hear everyone thinking it's the most feasible solution by far. He even hears Younghyun thinking to himself that it could work.

"No pressure but you better start practicing Sungjin," Jae hooks his arm around the leader's shoulders.

"Hyung, can you start with Jae hyung please? Try erasing the memories that made him hate me," Wonpil's eyes were practically shooting hearts at Sungjin.

"I'd erase you from this world first Wonpil." Jae's eyes look like they're ready to kill.

"We better get moving then. Dowoon let's feed you some breakfast, you're going to be working hard today."


	21. Sunrise

Sungjin actually decides to give Wonpil's request a shot. But instead of erasing memories he wanted to push something memorable about Wonpil in Jae's memory.

He pretends to be uninterested in their game of basketball and sits it out with Dowoon so he's able to concentrate on Jae, while he was playing with the rest.

When Wonpil accidentally hits Jae on the head with the ball, Sungjin finds his cue, he grabs a hold of Dowoon's hand. "Watch this."

"Yah! Wonpil!" Jae suddenly grabs Wonpil by the shirt.

"H-Hyung..." Wonpil looks like he's about to cry.

"Did you just touch my butt?!" Jae says furiously. "I have a sharp memory, so don't you dare lie to my face!"

"W-What?"

Younghyun holds Jae's arm hoping to calm his anger. "He didn't touch you Jae. He hit you with a ball..." Younghyun's voice trails off as he glances towards the snickering noises by the trees. Dowoon was laughing with his brother. This was no doubt all Sungjin's fault.

_You better fix this hyung, we have enough problems._

The laughter dies down and Jae finally lets go of Wonpil. 

"Wait, this feels like déjà vu," Jae says disoriented. He walks to the bleachers clutching his head where Wonpil had hit him. "Ugh, why does my head hurt?"

Younghyun walks the opposite direction, towards the brothers, leaving Wonpil standing alone in the middle of the court completely lost.

"Hyung of all the memories you could put in his head... Seriously, butt touching?" Younghyun says disapprovingly, but with a laugh nonetheless. Dowoon can't help but start giggling again.

"At least we know it works, both ways at that. I'm not sure how long this push would last but it'll definitely be enough if we need some form of diversion. The memory erasing looks like it works too. If Jae doesn't recover his memory of getting hit by the ball then it's a plus for Wonpil," Sungjin says proudly.

"So, who volunteers to be my next victim?" the leader asks eagerly, eyes sparkling. He locks eyes with Dowoon.

"H-Hyung.... No... Don't you dare!" Dowoon runs behind Younghyun.

"Dowoon you do realize that that's not gonna help right?" Younghyun playfully traps Dowoon, pushing him infront of Sungjin.

Laughter fills the air once again.

++++++ 

It's nearly midnight when Jae wakes up from his sleep. There's noise coming from the room next door.

"Pipe it down Kim Wonpil. People are trying to get some sleep here," he says groggily, kicking the wall separating the two rooms.

"H-Hyung... help me."

Jae's senses perk up. He remains in bed waiting to hear if Wonpil would speak again.

"Maybe he's just having a dream."

When he hears a loud thud, he quickly sits up. He hears running and then the voices of Sungjin and Dowoon. 

"Wonpil! Oh my god you're bleeding!"

Jae runs to Wonpil's room, stopping by the doorway.

"Call Younghyun! Where is he?!" Sungjin shouts at Jae.

In the darkness of the room, he can see Wonpil's sheets stained with a dark substance. He can't get himself to move any closer.

"This isn't happening... This isn't-"

"Jae what are you doing?! Call Younghyun!" 

Jae snaps out of his thoughts and quickly runs to find Younghyun. He started panicking as he tries to think where the other boy could be aside from his room at this hour. _The music room_. He wastes no time and teleports.

As soon as he steps into the room his heart sinks. It was too dark, Younghyun couldn't be in here.

Just then the lights turn on.

"HAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAY YOU!!!" 

Younghyun stands in the middle of the room holding out a cake, Wonpil with his red stained shirt is on the piano playing a birthday song. Dowoon continues to throw confettis on his head, while Sungjin stands by the light switch with a wide smile.

Jae's knees wobble and he falls to his knees, crying. 

Younghyun places the cake down safely on the piano and hurries to Jae. "Hyung, are you okay?"

"Hyung I think we scared him..." Dowoon says as he kneels down beside Jae.

Sungjin and Wonpil crowds around them concerned about the effect of their little surprise on the birthday boy.

As Jae sniffles he smells a distinct scent.

"Is t-that... YOU FUCKING USED KETCHUP TO FOOL ME?!"

Jae's sobbing turns into laughter. It was more of a crying laugh really, nevertheless, the laughing made the other boys feel at ease.

"H-Hyung I swear I didn't agree to this." Wonpil tries to inch his way out of Jae's forthcoming wrath. Wonpil slowly backs away as Jae gets up looking murderous. He freezes when he realizes Jae had placed a barrier behind him--there was no way out.

"H-Hyung!" Wonpil's pleading eyes transfer from Sungjin to Younghyun. "Yah hyung! Tell him it was your plan!" 

Sungjin merely laughs.

"He's all yours hyung," Younghyun says cheerfully. "Happy Birthday!"

Wonpil shuts his eyes as Jae draws nearer. He whimpers, begging Jae to spare him.

"You guys are stupid! I'll never forget this day." 

Wonpil feels like passing out as something--someone--bumps into him, then there are arms wrapping him in an embrace. 

"A-Are you hugging me hyung?"

"No, I'm trying to stop the blood flow in your body."

Wonpil cries loudly as he hugs his friend back.

When all the birthday beatings had been given and all the cake eaten, the boys decide to spend the rest of the wee hours on the school's rooftop, waiting for the sun to rise.

"What would I do without you guys?" Jae says wistfully as the sun breaks over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this story to celebrate Day6's guitar hero, Jae's birthday~
> 
> #ListenToADay6SongTodayBecauseItsMyBirthdayAndISaidSoSincerelyJae
> 
> One of the Day6 songs that somehow changed my life is I Wish... I happened to look up the English translation of its lyrics at a really sad time in my life and the lyrics just spoke to me. I am really thankful for Day6's music. :') Also, how can you not be in awe of Jae's guitar solo!!! 


	22. Round One, Fight!

It doesn't take the boys long to figure out how to trigger their advanced powers on their own without the aid of Dowoon. Soon they're playing matches against themselves to put their abilities to the test.

"You sure you don't need that roll of tissue paper hyung?" Wonpil acts out sticking a tissue up his nose.

"I'll be fine," Younghyun replies.

Dowoon places a handkerchief in his brother's hand. "Just in case hyung."

"Thanks Dowoon." Sungjin tucks the hanky in his back pocket.

"Okay rules! Sungjin, no erasing memories of powers. Younghyun, go kick Sungjin's ass," Jae announces, officiating the group's mock battle and, although they all agreed he would be the neutral party, Jae still made it clear which side he was on.

"Boooo!" Dowoon's voice resonates in the field.

"Give Dowoon a yellow card!" Wonpil shouts from his end.

"Shush! Okay, since Younghyun's powers are activated through physical contact he gets a handicap. Younghyun, whose powers will you be copying?"

"Sungjin hyung's," he answers without second thought.

"This is going to be interesting. Okay please meet in the middle. Good. Younghyun whenever you're ready. Sungjin remember not to resist, believe you me it'll hurt like a bitch if you do." Jae gives Younghyun the stink eye, the boy could only smile apologetically at him.

"It was your fault hyung," Wonpil quickly defends Younghyun.

"Thank you for enlightening me Wonpil," Jae replies with much sarcasm.

It happened during one of their mock battles. Younghyun had been pitted against Jae and he had chosen to copy the telekenetic's powers, of course the boy strongly opposed to the idea. The long and the short of it was that Jae was in so much pain after the process. It even had quite the adverse effects on him, that for some time objects would be flying randomly around him. In the end, after repeatedly refusing Younghyun's offer to try and fix him, he was secretly healed while he was sleeping.

"As agreed, after the battle, all powers shall be returned to its rightful owners. Yadah, yadah, yadah. What else did I miss?"

Wonpil whispers in Jae's ears.

"Ah yes, Kim Wonpil-ssi here is kindly requesting the two of you to avoid using us, your dear friends, as props. Understood? Yes? I'll take that silence as a yes. Please go back to your positions."

Both Sungjin and Younghyun, who both now had the leader's telepathic powers, were standing on opposite ends of the field, their eyes burning with determination.

"On my mark. Ready! Go!" 

Dowoon whistles loudly signalling the start of the battle.

Younghyun quickly runs to the middle of the field. Sungjin immediately knows he's going for Jae's powers.

"You still need practice blocking people out of your head Younghyun!" Sungjin shouts from across the field and orders Jae to move back.

"Hey! Hey! We talked about this!" Jae warns the two.

Younghyun doesn't stop running despite falling back a couple of times from Sungjin's powers. Sungjin decides it's time to start running as well. He still doesn't understand why they had to include getting pinned to the ground in their rules for winning. It could have been as easy as messing with their brains to disable them and he wouldn't even need to move a muscle. But he knows he's going to have to stick to the rules if he wants to be a role model of a leader.

As he watches Younghyun get closer to Jae, he prepares to use his powers again, but to his surprise, Younghyun just moves past the boy. 

No, Younghyun wasn't going to copy Jae's powers, neither was he intending to control him. It was all a diversion, a fake thought meant to be read. Sungjin's about to do all the dirty work for him.

Sungjin can now feel Younghyun inside his head. He tries to bind the boy, but before he is able to, Younghyun had already erased his memory of planning to do it. The telepath tries to block Younghyun out of his head, but then his mind becomes fuzzy. He feels himself calling for Jae, Wonpil and Dowoon. He makes another attempt at pushing Younghyun out but the younger boy just refuses to yield.

_Since when did you become this powerful Younghyun?_

No answer. 

Three out of the five boys are now running towards one person, but Younghyun wasn't any of them. He had stopped running for a while now and was walking leisurely towards the others. 

Sungjin finally understands what Younghyun's trying to do. He tries one last time to shut everyone out, to stop all the crazy mental connections Younghyun had weaved inside his head, but he's too late. The battle doesn't even last five minutes as the Jae, Wonpil and Dowoon tackle Sungjin to the ground--upon his own orders. 

Younghyun stands over the pile of boys grinning victoriously.

"I thought we all had an understanding that you were not to use your friends as props! Or aren't we friends anymore?" Jae seethes as he shoves the other boys aside so he could get up.

Younghyun extends his hand and Jae takes it, pulling the boy down to the ground with everyone else. There's collective groaning as Younghyun tumbles over his friends. 

"Yah! I didn't do anything," Younghyun says defensively, his nose starting to bleed.

Wonpil sees this and promptly prepares some tissue paper.

"The next time we're doing this I'm going to make a contract written and signed with blood from your noses," Jae declares, grabbing the piece of tissue Wonpil was rolling diligently, sticking it up Younghyun's nose.

"S-Sungjin hyung, y-you... D-Did you just control me to jump on you? I can clearly remember your voice in my head," Dowoon says as he helps his brother sit up.

Sungjin doesn't reply, he fixes his gaze on Younghyun. The silence was starting to make everyone else uneasy.

"It was him," Sungjin finally says looking like a proud dad who's still going to give his child a scolding.

"Younghyun?"

"He made me control you guys, so you would take me down."

"He made you control us, so we'd take you down?" Jae repeats slowly trying to grasp the situation.

"Who did what to who?" Wonpil's face screamed confusion.

Dowoon's mouth just hangs open, eyes darting from one friend to the other.

"You could do that Younghyun?"

Younghyun hesitates, he was unsure about how his friends would feel knowing how strong he could be with others powers.

"These past days, whenever I borrowed your powers and used them I never had a hard time. It felt natural, like it were my own. B-But it's not like I've changed my mind. I'm still going to destroy these powers." 

"Hyung! You're so cool!" Dowoon raves, bouncing like a puppy beside Younghyun. "That means, if you had my powers too then you'd be way stronger!" 

The others join in on praising Younghyun and the boy could only laugh nervously.

Sungjin places a firm hand on Younghyun's shoulder. "You were born with your powers for a reason Younghyun. Don't do something you'll regret later on."


	23. D-Day

It is the day they've all been preparing for. If things turn out as planned, they would be able to stop the organization and return to their previous lives without losing their powers and more importantly their own lives.

Jae and Wonpil enters a cafe. It's quite packed, the perfect place to start a commotion and attract certain people who were looking for them. After they've ordered their drinks, they choose a seat on the veranda.

Wonpil checks their surroundings. "This is definitely where we were sitting in the vision I had." 

"How much longer?" Jae asks, he had began tapping his foot.

"About 30 minutes."

No one talks; no conversation was going to ease their anxiety anyway.

Jae nor Wonpil drinks the beverage they've ordered. Jae was just playing with the straw, swirling the drink inconspicuously with his powers. While Wonpil had resorted to watching the tiny beads of water form on the surface of his plastic cup.

Before the 30 minutes are up. "Any more visions?" Jae asks anxiously.

"No, it's still the same. The video, a dead end and the portal. That's all I can see."

"Okay." Jae begins biting his fingernail.

"H-Hyung, I remember what you said..." Wonpil says silently, as he plays with the water that had condensed at the bottom of his cup. He decides that if he's going to die today, he's going to have the courage to say goodbye to at least one of them.

"I wasn't completely unconcious... I actually revisit that memory once a while. I never really felt like my life was worth anything but when the pain was becoming unbearable and I knew I was going to die, I realized how afraid I was of death. Then I heard your voice, and I became even more scared of dying. I-I will never forget the warmth when you enveloped me in your powers. Thank you for caring for me hyung. I know I haven't been the best-"

"Wonpil you're not saying goodbye, okay? We're all coming out of this alive," Jae tries to say firmly, but his voice comes out shaky. "I-I'd do it again... Try and save you. I would protect you Wonpil. I'd protect everyone with my life. Without hesitation."

"I'd do the same for you hyung."

The silence that follows isn't awkward. If anything, it's comforting, as if allowing the unspoken words which have finally been removed from their chests to bridge the gap between them and solidify their friendship even further.

Wonpil checks his watch then takes out a cellphone. "It's time. I'm ready whenever you are." 

"Wish me luck," Jae replies pushing his drink away. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath.

The tiny pool of water on their table starts to tremble and so do their drinks. Wonpil quickly hits the phone camera's record button.

People at the cafe were starting to become aware of the situation. Tables were shaking, causing unattended drinks to fall. A couple of items on shelves and racks came toppling down. Some people had taken cover under tables, others had ran outside, but most who noticed that the ground wasn't even moving, nor was there any commotion anywhere else, had taken out their phones and were filming. 

Wonpil doesn't waste time in posting his video on social media sites under a random account they had made. He makes sure to tag as many news stations as he could find. A few minutes later he receives a call from Dowoon. 

"Hyung, tell Jae hyung he did a really cool job. I've seen videos, it's gone viral. Sungjin hyung says it's only a matter of time before they find you. Take care okay? We're also on our way, we'll meet you on the other side."

They don't have to wait too long as a black van stops right infront of the cafe. Jae and Wonpil moves as discreetly as they can before making a run for it when they're far enough.

Wonpil leads Jae through the streets as he searches for the dead end he had seen in his vision. 

"Here! Hyung it's this one!" Wonpil pulls Jae by the hand as he turns a corner. A little further down, he opens a portal and lets Jae through. Wonpil looks behind him one last time before entering.

Now, they wait.


	24. Last Stand

"My dear boys! Oh, how I've missed you!"

The guards step aside revealing a man who didn't need any introductions. His voice alone was enough to trigger the boys' worst nightmares.

"You wanted our powers?" Sungjin speaks on behalf of the group. "We have our own offer."

The man's eyes widen with eagerness as the following events unfold before his very eyes: Jae forming an orb out of nowhere, Younghyun placing his hand over the orb making it glow as he transfers his powers into it.

"These are my healing powers. I'll give it to you. I can give you all our powers. Just stop... Please just stop coming after us."

"Let's see if you're telling the truth." The man takes out a gun and shoots the guard nearest him on the leg. A cry of pain echoes through the abandoned warehouse.

Dowoon claps his hands over his ears, shutting his eyes tight. Wonpil crouches down in fear, remembering this was the very man who had shot him.

"Hand over your power! If I'm able to heal him then I will consider your proposal."

The orb floats towards the man and he receives it with utmost care, admiring it for a while before placing his hand over the orb copying Younghyun. The smile on his face slowly fades as he realizes that nothing's happening.

"Oops! I forgot to tell you, it doesn't come with an instruction manual," Younghyun says out loud, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

This is their cue to start the second phase of their plan. 

Jae puts up a barrier to protect the group. Sungjin gives Younghyun his hand, sharing his powers. They had agreed to do this together. The faster they finish erasing their enemies' memories, the better. But before they're able to do anything else Dowoon crumples to the ground.

"AAAAH! MAKE IT STOP!" Dowoon screams, covering his ears. The boy can barely hear his voice over the noise that's filling his head.

Everyone runs to Dowoon's side except Jae who stands his ground to keep the barrier in place.

"You think you're the only ones with something up your sleeves?" The man laughs. "Break that force field down!" He orders his men.

"Hyung please... Please make it stop..." The boy pleads as he writhes in pain. His voice was becoming faint and his actions, sluggish.

"Wonpil, get Dowoon out of here! Please!" Sungjin begs Wonpil as he helps his brother cover his ears, desperate to help ease the boy's pain.

"Hyung... I-I can't open a portal!"

"What?!"

"My powers..." Wonpil looks at his hands as if it were the source of his powers. He makes another attempt but only a thin crack appears in the air, disappearing immediately.

"D-Dowoon... Dowoon!"

Dowoon's hand goes limp in Sungjin's.  

"Sungjin! Younghyun! Do it now! We don't have much time! It's going to fall apart!"

Younghyun helps Sungjin up but the older boy refuses to let go of his brother.

"Hyung!" Younghyun tries talking some sense into Sungjin. "The only way we can save Dowoon now is if we erase their memories. Hyung, let's go!"

"Y-Yes... Yes, I'm sorry. W-Wonpil please take care of him." 

As Sungjin gets on his feet, a bullet finally pierces the barrier.

To Jae, time suddenly feels like it's slowing down--the barrier disintegrating into a million pieces, the bullet coming straight for him, Sungjin running towards him, the bullet hitting Sungjin.

"SUNGJIN!" Jae catches the leader as he falls.

The man holds up his hand and the guards immediately stop their assault. He grins sadistically as he watches the boys worry over their fallen friend.

"Move! Let me do it!" Younghyun presses his hands firmly over Sungjin's bleeding shoulder making the boy wince in pain. He hasn't forgotten that he had lost powers, but he needed to do something. It had always been his responsibility to heal his friends.

"Jae... Dowoon..." Sungjin's words are barely coherent as he struggles to breathe.

"Sungjin keep your eyes open! You have to stay with us!" Jae cries when Sungjin becomes less responsive as Younghyun puts more pressure over his wound.

"J-Jae, this isn't enough... I-I don't know what to do anymore." Younghyun panics, his friend's blood, warm against his palms.

"Did you need this?" The man holds out the orb with Younghyun's power. "If only you listened from the very start. All I needed was you Younghyun! You, with your friend's powers. Was it really that hard? Look at what your selfishness has done to them," the man's voice booms through the room. "Have I changed your mind yet? Or do you still need some convincing?"

"NO!" Younghyun cries out. "P-Please stop. I-I'll do it."

"You're not taking him! Over my dead body!" Jae shouts over their voices.

"How many dead bodies should I be stepping on Younghyun?" The man raises his gun.

Younghyun slowly faces Jae, eyes filled with guilt.

"Younghyun, I refuse!"

"H-Hyung please..." Younghyun pleads pointlessly. He knows there's no other way but to take his friend's powers by force. "I don't want to hurt you..."

"Then don't do it Younghyun! Please!"

"There's no other way! We both know that... Everyone knows that!"

"There's still-"

"Me."

"I won't forgive you for this Younghyun!" Jae threatens. Empty as it were, he hopes one last time that his best friend would change his mind.

"I'm sorry Jae..."

Younghyun grabs Jae's hand before the older boy can block him. "Please forgive me," he whispers as he carefully lays his best friend on the ground as he passes out from the pain.

"Hyung... you don't have to do this," Wonpil begs, as he watches Younghyun take Sungjin's powers.

"I have to." _Wonpil, give me your powers._

"I-I don't want to!" Wonpil begins to cry. He can feel Younghyun inside his head. He tries his hardest to fight the push but he eventually holds out his hand and lets his powers be taken.

"Now go to sleep..."

"W-What do you mean? I-I... No! P-Please hyung... Let me help you!"

"Wonpil, it's going to be alright. This is all going to be over soon. I'll be there when you wake up..." 

He cries silently as he feels Wonpil's hand slip from his grasp as the younger boy falls asleep.

Then he sees it, blood on Wonpil's hand, he panics only to realize that it's the blood from his--Sungjin's blood. He rubs it vigorously off his jeans but it still leaves a stain on his palms.

If only he had taken the man's offer in the first place, he wouldn't have had blood on his him, none of his friends would have been fighting for their life--it wouldn't have come to this.

"I'm sorry Dowoon..." he murmurs as he moves on to the youngest, unconscious but breathing. _At least he's still alive_. "I will make him pay..."

"See it wasn't that hard," the man says, sending chills down Younghyun's spine as he stands up, finished with his task.

"You will pay," Younghyun mutters under his breath, as he wipes his tears.

"You want pay?" The man laughs, mocking him.

Younghyun looks back at his friends. They didn't deserve any of this. _He_ doesn't deserve any of this.

"YOU WILL PAY! You're not taking anything from me nor my friends!"

Younghyun extends both hands forwards and a barrier appears shielding him and his friends. He makes eye contact with the man as he erases each guard's memories. One by one they fall to the ground unconscious.

"Powerful, very powerful," he muses to himself. "In a short span of time, you were able to develop these powers. Impressive." 

"You messed with the wrong person! I am my father's son!" Younghyun enters the man's mind and begins erasing his memories, pushing himself to keep going even though he knows he's already reached his limit. 

The boy sways in his spot as he feels a sudden surge of headache. His nose starts to bleed.

"Just a little more-"

Younghyun stops. The man was watching videos of his family. The father he never had growing up was playing with a year-old Younghyun and his mom; they were happy and complete.

"D-Dad..."

Younghyun's completely distracted that he hadn't noticed the barrier disappearing. He had even stopped erasing the man's memories just to see more of his father.

As the man is freed from Younghyun's mind control he looks around the room, disoriented. It was impossible for him to be there, he was literally just in his living room reviewing data of one of the most powerful mutants in the country. Then he sees Younghyun--the resemblance.

"A monster just like his father."

The man feels for his pockets, knows he always has one on him, finds a syringe and reaches for Younghyun, just as the boy snaps back to reality.

"Let me go!" Younghyun tries to hold him off, but not for long in his weak state. The serum injected into his system.

"Oh the things I will do to you and your friends."

"N-No! Not my friends!"

Younghyun pushes the man off him. He knows it's not going to amount to anything but he wasn't going down without a fight. With all the strength left in him he latches onto the man's mind again and resumes erasing his memories. His father's face, vanishing with them.

"J-Just... a... l-little... b-bit... m-more," Younghyun slurs as his body finally gives in to the sedative.

He waits for his body to hit the cold hard ground but it doesn't happen. Instead, he falls on something firm and warm. He tries opening his eyes but his eyelids are too heavy. He can't tell if he's still in the man's head or if he's just hallucinating, but he can hear footsteps around him, someone was calling his name. 

"P-Please save m-my friends..." Younghyun tries to tell to anyone who could possibly hear him as he finally succumbs to the darkness.


	25. You Are Not Alone

_The car somersaulted in the air before landing on the ground. The crunching sound of metal on concrete filled the silence of the night. Seated in the backseat was a woman who had her arms wrapped tightly around a sleeping baby._

_"Y-Yeobo..." a man's voice called out weakly._

_"Y-Yeobo! Oh my god! Yeobo!" The woman cried hysterically seeing her husband covered in blood, while neither she, nor their_ _son, had a single scratch on their bodies._

_"You have to get out yeobo! We have to go now!" The woman pulled at her husband's arm._

_"M-My leg..." The man tried to move but his leg had been crushed underneath the weight of the dashboard._

_"No! Why didn't you protect yourself?! You could have-"_

_"There's nothing more important now than our son!" he shouted back making the woman fall silent. He breathed heavily as he gave up on prying his leg loose from the ruined car._

_He reached out for his son and the woman moved closer, tears streaming down her face. The baby was still sleeping peacefully amidst the chaos. He touched his child's face and kissed him on the cheek before addressing his wife._

_"I-I'm so sorry I won't be there for the two of you. I won't be able to see him grow up... You'll be a wonderful mother to our son, no doubt. Younghyun... You will need to teach him how to use his powers, how to protect himself. Give me your hand."_

_"No!" the woman refused, stepping away. "We're going to raise him together. We're going to be a happy family. Please let's go! Use your powers! Get out of there! Please!" The woman cried helplessly._

_"You know you're only lying to yourself! I warned you about the dangers of being with me. We won't be able to live a normal life as long as they're looking for me, as long as I'm alive... We tried. You know that. We tried..." the man said defeatedly. "Thank you, for loving me despite the person that I am. I love you so much. Tell Younghyun how much I love him too..."_

_The man pulled his wife in for a kiss. The woman reciprocated as she ultimately accepted her husband's powers, their powers flowing through each other's veins._

_"It will take some getting used to, but don't be afraid to use my powers. You will find use for them._

_"Younghyun... C-Can I hold him one last time?"_

_The woman placed their son in his arms and the child snuggled onto his chest, finding comfort in the warmth._

_"If only I could have chosen not to pass on my powers to you. I'm so sorry to have brought this burden upon you. But you are not alone, your mother will guide you. You will become strong and powerful, just as your heart will be," the man whispered softly in his son's ear._

_"When he grows up, tell him he has the choice to destroy his powers. It is my final gift."_

Younghyun wakes up with a start. _I'm alive..._ But he isn't sure if he should be relieved to be. _Where am I?_  He prays to be anywhere but the facility. He looks around, but his head starts to spin as his eyes adjust to the darkness. His eyes are stinging from his sweat or is it his tears? He tries to wipe them but then realizes someone's holding his hand.

"M-Mom?"

"Younghyun!" the woman quickly sits up. It's evident in her face that she hasn't had proper sleep for days. She cries hugging her son tight.

"Where am I?"

"You're safe now. You're home. It's over son, it's over."

"Home..." Younghyun savors the word, but then his heartbeat quickens. "Sungjin hyung! H-He was shot! Where is he? Dowoon-"

"They're all safe Younghyun. All of you are safe. They should be sleeping by now."

"Mom... I saw dad. I-I saw t-the man watching videos of our family. We were so happy..." Younghyun says, trying to recall everything he had seen, afraid he might forget them. "I-I also had a dream... The night he... h-he died."

"It wasn't a dream Younghyun. I wanted you to know what kind of person your father was. He loved you so much."

Younghyun buries his face in his mother's embrace as tears streamed down his face. "I'm so sorry mom. I shouldn't have talked back to you. I didn't realize-"

"No I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry for lying to you Younghyun. I was just so scared to lose you the way I lost your father. I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you too."

"I love you mom."

"I love you too son, and so does your father."

Wrapped in his mother's embrace, for the first time in a long while, Younghyun finally sleeps peacefully.

++++++

"Can't we see him yet? I brought him melon milk, it's going to get warm..." 

"Then put it back in the fridge. He still needs to rest."

Younghyun can hear his friend's speaking in hushed voices outside his room. He sits up excitedly ready to see them until he remembers what he had done, especially Jae. He curls back into bed, hiding under the sheets.

"Boys, breakfast! Downstairs now! Move, move! Don't bother the poor boy." He recognizes that voice, its Jae's mother. He listens as she knocks on Jae's room calling him to come out for breakfast. 

 _I won't forgive you for this Younghyun._  

He sheds a tear remembering his best friend's words.Knowing he hadn't come out of his room to try and see him like the others did made him even sadder.

"Not like I had any choice. I wasn't just gonna stand there and watch them die infront of me," he says to himself, sniffling. "Always so dramatic. He can hate me all he wants," he says with resolve as he removes the blanket over him in a huff.

"WHAT THE-"

Jae is leaning on the wall across his bed, arms crossed lazily. His eyes were closed as if he were thinking hard.

"Hyung... H-How long have you been in here? You scared m-"

"Dramatic?  _Always_ so dramatic?" Jae's eyebrows furrow even further.

Younghyun laughs nervously as he tries to explain himself, "I didn't mean-"

"Do you know what dramatic looks like Younghyun?" Jae interrupts, his eyes wearing that look of contempt Younghyun has always feared.

"Jae, I order you to stop whatever you're planning. Stop-"

"Younghyun your mom gave us back our powers," the older boy says matter-of-factly. "How do you think I got in here?"

"AAAAA!!! HELP ME!!!"

"That's Younghyun!" Sungjin drops his fork and runs ahead of everyone to the boy's room. He bursts in through the door and regrets it immediately. Jae was sitting on top of something, hidden under the sheets. And by the sound of the screaming, that something was undoubtedly Younghyun.

"YOU NEARLY DIED AND YOU'RE TELLING ME I WAS BEING DRAMATIC! YOU SELFISH-" Jae stops when he notices everyone standing by the doorway, staring at him (and probably the thing underneath him too). He blinks back at them, holding up a pillow.

"Um... Yes! I think we should all go back now. Let's give these lovebirds-" Wonpil freezes. _Shit! Did that just come out of my mouth?_  He quickly attempts to correct his words, "I-I mean our be-beloved hyungs need some privacy." He laughs animatedly as all eyes transfer to him, even Younghyun has peeked out from under the blanket.

"Man, I'm hungry..." Wonpil tries to escape, making his way through the crowded doorway. 

"I commend you for your bravery." Sungjin and Dowoon blocks the boy's path. "I offer you as tribute!" Sungjin pushes him into the room. Wonpil scampers to the door, but it shuts in his face. 

"Jae, Younghyun don't make the food wait too long!"

++++++

"Who saved us?" Younghyun breaks the rather cheerful atmosphere in the kitchen.  
  
"We did," Younghyun's mom answers putting down her coffee. "I was so scared that we were too late," Younghyun's mom continues unnerved as Jae's mom comforts her.  
  
"I was in touch with her Younghyun," Sungjin adds, handing him the note his mother left him that night.  
  
_Younghyun, I'm going to be away for a while. We're going to put a stop to those monsters who did this to you and your friends. I know you won't stay put and you'll probably be looking for ways to stop them too, but please, tell me your plans. We will help you. You are not alone._  
  
"They told you everything about our plan, didn't they? But no one told me about _this_ plan..." Younghyun stares as the note.   
  
"You had a lot on your mind then, we knew you'd disagree," Jae tries to explain.  
  
"She's my mom-"  
  
"You would've said no Younghyun. There's no point in denying it. You didn't even bother to read her note," Sungjin insists.  
  
"Okay! So I was angry then! If you were in my place wouldn't you be?!" A pause. "But I regretted it, okay? I tried looking for that note... But I was too ashamed to ask any of you."

His mother holds his hand making him realize he had been holding onto his glass of milk too hard.  
  
"Dear, we all had our faults. If I could, I would have changed the way I did things... But as they say, everything happens for a reason, and that's probably why we're all able to be together like this. You're all alive and that's what matters. I know it won't be easy for you to forgive me, but I hope time would heal the wounds in your heart."  
  
Younghyun cries unable to contain his emotions any longer. "I'm sorry too..."  
  
"Forgive me hyung," Wonpil looks at Jae with sad puppy eyes. He had been rubbing an egg on his cheek since they came down to the dining room.  
  
"Shut up Wonpil! What even are you doing with that egg?! Do you want to get a real bruise to rub that on?"  
  
"Eomonim! Jae hyung keeps fighting me!" Wonpil says out loud as he stands, about to run to Jae's mom.  
  
"What are you, 5? You're grown ups! Sit down!" Sungjin scolds the two.  
  
"Ne hyung..." Wonpil sadly returns to his seat, continuing to rub the egg on his cheek. Jae throws a fake punch at him and the boy nearly falls off his seat.  
  
"Jae hyung..." Wonpil's expression suddenly turns stoic. "I-I had a vision..."  
  
"Wha-"

_Crack!_

Wonpil smashes the egg open on Jae's forehead, quickly scampering to the living room.  
  
"I can suddenly see  _your_ future Wonpil... GET BACK HERE!"

Jae accidentally gets caught on Dowoon's earphone cords as he runs, making the younger boy's music player fall to the floor.

"YAH! WILL YOU STOP?!"

All eyes turn to the youngest.

"Yah...?! Did you just yah me?"

Dowoon flushes red. He flashes his widest smile at Jae, slowly getting up from his seat, before pelting towards Wonpil. 

"I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS DISRESPECT!" Jae shouts in frustration as the three go on a cat and mouse chase around the house.  
  
"My babies," Jae's mother swoons. "I can't decide if you've already grown up or if you're still children... Can I bring Jae back home with me? I miss-"  
  
"NO!" Sungjin and Younghyun reply in unison.  
  
"Well then, I'll just pack my things and live with you boys instead. I'll cook and-"  
  
"MOM!"

++++++

"Hey dad... I came by to say I really miss you... I wish I could have known you more." 

Younghyun takes a deep breath. He already told himself he wouldn't cry infront of his father, but it's harder than he thought.

"Thank you, for my powers. I-I'm going to keep them after all, if it's okay with you. That means I won't be using your final gift..."

Younghyun draws his ability to destroy powers and transfers it into a rose, which he lays on his father's tomb.

"Dad, I don't think I'll be able to see you soon... But one day... One day we'll see each other again, until then please watch over me and mom. We love you so much."

"You okay?" Jae speaks softly beside him. The younger boy nods wiping the tears which welled up in his eyes.

"Thanks guys, for coming with me."

"We're always here for you Younghyun." Sungjin gives him a reassuring smile. "You ready?"

"Where to?"

"To our next adventure of course!"

"He means the new restaurant across the arcade! It's literally called Our Next Adventure. I'm salivating! I heard the chicken there is great!"

"Chicken and beer! Chicken and beer!" Dowoon starts chanting.

"Oh no you don't." Sungjin pulls his brother by the back of his shirt. "Who says you're of age? No one's drinking beer."

Wonpil laughs at him.

"At least I don't need to do chores at home anymore!"

Wonpil turns pale. _Why did you remind him?_ He mouths at Dowoon, his face contorting with disappointment.

"Sorry Wonpil... Come on, let's drown your sorrows in coke, shall we?" Younghyun hooks his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"Let's get it!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an emotional mess from Day6's October songs... Why Am I Alone/ I Need Somebody has to be my favorite track out of all Day6 songs ever. I cried because I always feel that way... But I had friends who told me I am not alone. I am also here to tell you that you are not alone. <3 
> 
> Ah... I don't want to let go of my baby... I feel so attached to this story. I would write and edit almost everyday and now that it's more or less over I'll really miss writing for this story. I hope you enjoyed reading the story! :)
> 
> Please keep loving Day6 everyday~ <3


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